FirstEnergy, Cleveland Indians Team Up to Provide 200 Book Packs to Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio

FirstEnergy and the Cleveland Indians recently teamed up to kick off the summer break for local youth by providing 200 Scholastic Summer Book Packs to Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio (BGCNEO) members to promote reading while they are out of the classroom.

More than 50 children from Cleveland between the ages of 5 and 13 gathered for a fun-filled day at the Broadway Boys and Girls Club, where they played carnival games, enjoyed lunch provided by Chick-fil-A, and received book packs from the beloved Indians’ mascots, Slider and The Dogs. Each book pack contained four books geared to their specific reading level, a bookmark and a UV ink pen. FirstEnergy also provided a book light to each child participating in the event.

“FirstEnergy is proud to partner with the Cleveland Indians and Scholastic Books to host the Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio’s Read and Play event,” said Mark Jones, regional president for The Illuminating Company, a FirstEnergy utility that provides electric service in northeast Ohio. “This is a great way to encourage children to read more often during the summer and have fun at the same time.”

Academic success is one of the three pillars of Boys and Girls Clubs, and the goal of this summer reading program is to keep students on track and ready for the next grade level by staying engaged in educational activities and regular reading. The initiative aligns with FirstEnergy’s commitment to making its customers’ lives brighter and the communities stronger.

“This amazing partnership with Cleveland Indians Charities and FirstEnergy not only promotes reading and learning but does it in a way that is fun for our kids,” said BGCNEO President and CEO Jeff Scott. “Many of our young people struggled to bridge the digital divide during the pandemic, and this commitment by the Indians and FirstEnergy is very meaningful to a group of kids who are looking forward to getting back to the classroom.”

Kids who finish reading the four books in their book pack will receive two tickets to a Cleveland Indians game and a raffle entry for a chance to win a new bike from the Boys and Girls Club.

Photos from the Read and Play event can be found here.

MEDIA CONTACT: Lauren Siburkis, (330) 203-8850