ANAHEIM, Calif. – The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim joined millions of students across the country to celebrate the ninth annual National Education Association's (NEA) Read Across America Day on March 2, 2006. A number of the team’s players, management and staff will participate in the event, which fosters reading motivation and awareness among youth in the United States.

The appearances will take place at a number of Southland Schools, libraries and community centers throughout the day. All Ducks representatives took a turn in reading to children, in an effort to model the importance of reading skills. Participating children at Fairmont Private School in Anaheim Hills had the opportunity to meet and hear from Mighty Duck Olympic Gold Medalist Samuel Pahlsson, who wore his Olympic medal. Ducks winger Todd Fedoruk also made an appearance at Francis Scott Key Elementary School in Anaheim.

“Children who are avid readers become better students,” said Mighty Ducks Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer Tim Ryan. “We feel this initiative is another way we can make a long-term, positive impact on the children in our community.”

NEA's Read Across America Day is an annual reading motivation and awareness program that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading. Having begun on March 2, 1998, it has quickly become the largest celebration of reading in the United States. NEA's Read Across America Day, which falls on Dr. Seuss's (Theodor Geisel) 102nd birthday, expects more than 45 million readers, both young and old, to pick up books.