Shorebirds Launch Hit the Books Program

Salisbury, Md. - The Delmarva Shorebirds, class "A" affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, have officially kicked off the 2011 "Hit the Books" reading program. The program is designed to encourage children all across the Eastern Shore to read outside of the classroom. The Shorebirds have partnered with Sylvan Learning Center and Schwartz Orthodontics in order to organize and execute this program.

To launch the initiative, the Shorebirds, Sylvan Learning Center and Schwartz Orthodontics honored Yumin Jeong of Bennett Middle School for winning the Bookmark Design Contest. Children from participating schools were asked to submit a bookmark design for the Hit the Books program. Jeong's bookmark showed an outstanding combination of artistic talent and creative spirit. Each child will receive a bookmark featuring Jeong's winning design.

The "Hit the Books" program has evolved into one of the biggest reading programs on the Eastern Shore. This year, over 100 schools with over 40,000 combined students are enrolled in the program.

"We really take a lot of pride in the 'Hit the Books' program because of the impact that it has on all the children that participate," said general manager Chris Bitters. "We look forward to rewarding each child that excels in reading with a fun night at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium."

The "Hit the Books" program mandates that all children read four books outside of the classroom. Each child that reads four books receives two free tickets to a Shorebirds game during the 2011 season. Students have until February 28 to finish all four books.

Schools will be notified shortly as to when their night at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium will be. The students will be recognized at the stadium during a pregame ceremony where each child will have the unique opportunity to parade around the field.

"We are extremely proud of the participation in this year's reading program. Being able to reach over 40,000 students across the Eastern Shore and to see them excited about reading is fantastic," said Arthur Maonde of Sylvan Learning Center. "Sylvan is looking forward to honoring these students and we the hope the Delmarva community will join us in honoring them as well."

"Schwartz Orthodontics is extremely excited to partner with the Delmarva Shorebirds for the Hit Books Program," said Dr. Schwartz. "We look forward to rewarding the students as they reach their reading goals. We believe that education through literature leads to good oral hygiene and dental health."

For more information about the "Hit the Books" program, contact Shawn Schoolcraft at 410-219-3112 ext. 168.

For more information about Sylvan Learning Center, click here and more for more information about Schwartz Orthodontics, click here

Delmarva Shorebirds
----------------------------- The Delmarva Shorebirds are the Class "A" Affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. The Shorebirds are owned by 7th Inning Stretch, L.P., the same company that owns the Stockton Ports of the California League and the Everett AquaSox of the Northwest League. The Shorebirds are the proud hosts of the 2011 South Atlantic League "Strike Out Hunger" All-Star Game presented by Perdue. The game will be contested on June 21, 2011. For more information, call the Shorebirds at 410-219-3112.

The Shorebirds are celebrating 16-years of professional baseball on the Eastern Shore. During the 2009 season, the Shorebirds finished with an average attendance of 3,567 fans, the largest average since the 2002 season. In 2007, The Shorebirds had the top attendance based on market size in Minor League Baseball™, according to Sports Business Journal (Aug. 2008). In 2010, more than 6,000 fans packed Arthur W. Perdue Stadium nine times including a season high of 8,993 fans on August 7th.

The Shorebirds were established in 1996 by an investor team headed by legendary chicken company owner, the late Frank Perdue. The Shorebirds have called Arthur W. Perdue home ever since. For more information about the Delmarva Shorebirds call 410-219-3112 or visit www.theshorebirds.com.