YALSA names WrestleMania® Reading Challenge Winners
Contact: Stephanie Kuenn
Communications Specialist
(312) 280-2128
NEWS
For Immediate Release
March 24, 2009
CHICAGO – Ten regional winners in grades 7-8 and 9-12 from across the United States have won a chance to compete in the WrestleMania® Reading Challenge National Finals in Houston, Texas. Five regional champions from grades 5-6 will also be guests at the finals, which will be held on April 4 at the Houston Public Library.
Each regional winner won a trip for two to Houston, tickets to the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania at Reliant Stadium on April 5 and $2,000 for their sponsoring library. The WrestleMania Reading Challenge is sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), and World Wrestling Entertainmentâ (WWEâ), with support from Mattel. More than 1,800 libraries participated in this year’s competition.
Students in grades 7-8 and 9-12 will compete in a trivia contest to win the WrestleMania ringside tickets. The finalists will answer questions posed by WWE Superstars and Divas to compete for the national title.
The 2009 regional winners are:
Grades 9-12: Christian Cervantes, Houston, Texas, Tuttle Neighborhood Library; Gavin Marriott, Edgemont, S.D., Edgemont Public Library; Angelica Kruth, Munhall, Pa., Mt. Lebanon Public Library; William Haggerty, Snow Hill, N.C., Greene Central High School Media Center; and Karolina Flores, El Monte, Calif., El Monte Library, County of Los Angeles Public Library
Grades 7-8: Stephanie Diaz, Houston, Texas, Walter Neighborhood Library; Marissa Brann, Corydon, Ind., Harrison County Public Library; Hansel Caraballo, New York, Â I.S.143 Eleanor Roosevelt Library; Kyle Hoskins, Louisville, Ky., Zoneton Middle School; Kayla Bell, Los Angeles, Calif., Exposition Park - Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Regional Branch Library
Grades 5-6: Jose Castro, Houston, Texas, Ring Branch Library; Herlinda Aparicio, Overland Park, Kan., Oak Park Library, Johnson County Library; Nicolas Covelli, Stormville, N.Y., Mahopac Public Library; Donte Edwards, Alpharetta, Ga., Holcomb Bridge Middle School Media Center; Neom Rose Chacon, El Mirage, Ariz., El Mirage Elementary School
“We're always looking for ways to spread the word that reading is fun and the best habit you can have, and this challenge is one more way to do that,” said Sarah Cornish Debraski, YALSA president. “The incentive—to participate in the WrestleMania Reading Challenge and possibly attend WrestleMania—is a highly motivating one and one which allows librarians to reach out to teens who may not already have a love of reading.”
“We expect the competition to be fierce, with two national titles on the line,” said Gary Davis, WWE Vice President, Global Public Affairs. “It’s nerve-wracking for the finalists, but with the participation of the WWE Superstars and Divas, the kids all have fun, which is what reading books should be all about.”
“Mattel is proud to partner with WWE on this terrific initiative," said Tim Kilpin, General Manager, boys, girls and games for Mattel Brands and board member of the Mattel Children's Foundation. "Literacy is a Mattel Children's Foundation key priority, and this Reading Challenge engages children through an exciting form of entertainment they love — WWE wrestling!”
For more than 50 years, YALSA has been the world leader in selecting books, films and audiobooks for teens. For more information about YALSA or for lists of recommended reading, viewing and listening, go to
www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists, or contact the YALSA office by phone, (800) 545-2433, ext. 4390, or e-mail,
yalsa@ala.org.
Additional information on World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWE) can be found at
wwe.com and
corporate.wwe.com. For information on its global activities, go to
http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/
Mattel, Inc., (NYSE: MAT, www.mattel.com) is the worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys and family products. The Mattel family is comprised of such best-selling brands as Barbie®, the most popular fashion doll ever introduced, Hot Wheels®, Matchbox®, American Girl®, Radica® and Tyco® R/C, as well as Fisher-Price® brands, including Little People®, Power Wheels® and a wide array of entertainment-inspired toy lines. Mattel, Inc. is recognized as one of 2009's "100 Best Companies to Work For" by FORTUNE Magazine. With worldwide headquarters in El Segundo, Calif., Mattel employs approximately 30,000 people in 43 countries and territories and sells products in more than 150 nations. Mattel's vision is to be the world's premier toy brands—today and tomorrow.
