The Amerks are back with another read of the Reading Power Play at local libraries through January.  If you have school age kids you’ll want to schedule some of these to give them the chance to hang out with The Moose, an Amerks player and of course enjoy some reading.  The second half of the Reading Power Play gives kids a chance to win a grand prize for every three books they read.  Travis Turnbull made the first appearance on Tuesday night, keep an eye on twitter.com/AmerksHockey or the Amerks Facebook Page to find out who the player will be the day of an appearance.  Read on for more information..

(Rochester, NY)… The Rochester Americans and the Monroe County Libraries are again partnering to provide the “Reading Power Play,” which teams Amerks players with local public librarians in support of reading. The 2011-12 season marks the seventh year of the program, provided exclusively by Wendy’s.

“We’re excited to again partner with the Monroe County Library System and offer this great program to our young fans here in Rochester,” said Amerks Vice President of Business Operations Rob Kopacz. “The Amerks are proud to be part of the fabric of Rochester and we appreciate the opportunity for our players to become active members in our community.”

The “Reading Power Play” allows fans to meet players and The Moose, while also learning about hockey and the importance of reading. The program also rewards kids for reading and selects two grand-prize winners that will win dinner, suite tickets and the opportunity to participate in the ceremonial puck drop prior to Rochester’s home game on Saturday, Feb. 11 against the San Antonio Rampage. For more details, go to amerks.com.

“Linking books and the Amerks make reading all the more fun for kids,” said Fairport Children’s Librarian and Monroe County Library System representative Robin Benoit. “Plus, there is the added excitement of seeing their favorite player reading a book at their local library during the season. The Amerks are role models for kids all the way around.”

The Amerks will kick off the 2011-12 program on Tuesday, November 1 at the Ogden public library with the first of 23 reading appearances. Amerks forward Travis Turnbull will be on hand starting at 6:30 p.m. The “Reading Power Play” involves players stopping by local libraries, reading to kids and giving a hockey demonstration. Each appearance also features a raffle for Amerks memorabilia and an autograph session by the visiting player and The Moose.

At each event, the Amerks will distribute ticket vouchers to each youth in attendance good for one complimentary ticket for the Feb. 11 home game. Vouchers can be redeemed at The Blue Cross Arena Box Office or the Amerks front office. Additional discounted tickets for the game can also be purchased for as little as $10.00 for best available seating locations.

During the past six seasons, Amerks players and their mascot, The Moose, have made over 125 appearances and accounted for over 18,000 books being read by kids from kindergarten and all the way through high school.

The second half of “Reading Power Play” enters kids into a grand-prize drawing. Using the hat trick as an educational incentive, youth participants fill out a form for every three books they read, which then qualifies them for an entry into the grand prize drawing.

The “Reading Power Play” runs from Tuesday, November 1 to Tuesday, January 31. A complete reading program schedule will be available at the Amerks Guest Services Booth in the upper atrium lobby on game nights and online at amerks.com. For more information on the reading program or to book player or Moose appearances, please contact the Amerks Public Relations department at (585) 454-5335.

Reading Power Play Appearance Dates*
Time slots are 4:00 p.m. or 6:30 p.m.

November:
Tuesday, Nov. 1 6:30 Ogden
Wednesday, Nov. 2 4:00 Phillis Wheatley
Tuesday, Nov. 8 6:30 Brockport
Wednesday, Nov. 9 6:30 Fairport
Wednesday, Nov. 23 4:00 Charlotte
Monday, Nov. 28 6:30 Scottsville
Wednesday, Nov. 30 4:00 Lyell
6:30 Penfield

December:
Wednesday, Dec. 7 4:00 Arnett
Wednesday, Dec. 14 4:00 Monroe
Monday, Dec. 19 4:00 Brighton
Thursday, Dec. 22 4:00 Sully
6:30 West Irondequoit

January:
Monday, Jan. 2 6:30 Pittsford
Wednesday, Jan. 4 4:00 Winton
6:30 Henrietta
Monday, Jan. 9 6:30 Greece
Tuesday, Jan. 10 6:30 Hamlin
Wednesday, Jan. 11 6:30 Parma
Tuesday, Jan. 17 4:00 East Irondequoit
6:30 Gates
Monday, Jan. 30 6:30 Chili
Tuesday, Jan. 31 6:30 Rush

*schedule subject to change