Shorebirds Celebrate Hit the Books Winner

SALISBURY, Md. -- The Delmarva Shorebirds, Class A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, and Dr. James M. Crouse at The Brace Place, presenting sponsor of the Hit the Books program, honored Aliyah Jones of Sudlersville Middle School for winning the 2016 Hit the Books Bookmark Design Contest.

Her winning design was featured on bookmarks that were distributed to over 49,000 students at 105 area schools that participate in the Hit the Books program.

Hit the Books encourages elementary and middle school students on the Delmarva Peninsula to read outside of their regular classroom assignments. Students that complete their reading goals receive two free tickets to a Shorebirds home game during the 2016 season.

Jones's winning design features Sherman at a baseball field with the tagline "Go Reading!" For her efforts, she was rewarded with a surprise visit at school from Sherman and representatives from the Delmarva Shorebirds and The Brace Place on Tuesday. She will also get the opportunity to throw out a first pitch before her school's Hit the Books date at the stadium this spring.

"Her design perfectly illustrated the goal of the program, to get students to read beyond the classroom," Eric Sichau, Shorebirds director of community relations and promotions, said. "We look forward to seeing the kids realize the fruits of their labor at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium this spring." 

The initiative, which is one of the biggest and longest-running reading programs in the region, officially kicked off on Tuesday, Jan. 19 and will run through Feb. 26. 

"Reading books is a favorite pastime of mine and I love to see young people reading books," Dr. James M. Crouse said. "Our partnership with Shorebirds Hit the Books program is a perfect fit for us at The Brace Place." 

Participating schools will be notified in March about their game date at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium, and students will be honored as part of a pregame parade around the field. For more information, contact the Delmarva Shorebirds at 410-219-3112. 

Season ticket and group outing packages are currently on sale for the 2016 season. The Shorebirds offer full season tickets, half season tickets, a 22-game plan and a 12-game plan along with a number of opportunities for groups to enjoy a night out at the ballpark. To secure your seat(s), call 410-219-3112.