Vancouver Giants winger Kyle Bruce is making a difference not only on the ice this season. He's now also making a difference in the classroom.
The Garden Bay native and the rest of his Giants' teammates helped launch a new community outreach program last week.
The Giants, in conjunction with the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, IBM and Teldon International, launched the program that sees team players visiting elementary schools throughout the Lower Mainland. "This program is a great incentive for kids to develop crucial literacy skills," says Mike Stephenson, VP of Imperial Service CIBC. "The CIBC is proud to partner with the Vancouver Giants on this innovative reading program which not only gives Lower Mainland kids an opportunity to take in one of the best sporting events in our community but also encourages them to reach their full academic potential."
The CIBC Vancouver Giants Read To Succeed program encourages kids in Grades 4 and 5 to spend extra time reading at home. Giants' players, many of whom are student athletes themselves, will visit schools throughout the Lower Mainland, talking to students about the importance of reading and education as well as family literacy. The players, along with team mascot Jack the Giant, challenge the students to complete a team (class) reading project. Upon successfully completing the literacy challenge of extra reading at home, students are revisited by the Giants and rewarded with team posters and tickets to an upcoming game for the entire class. Also, any class participating has the opportunity to win an IBM computer and network card for their school.
On the ice, the Giants have rebounded from a 0-10 skid in the past week.
The Giants have won four of their past five games and now sit in a tie for second place with the Kootenay Ice in the B.C. Division in the Western Conference of the Western Hockey League.
Bruce is fifth in team scoring with 12 goals and 30 points.
For more information on the Giants' new youth outreach program, game stats and ticket information, check out www.vancouvergiants.com.
