The Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) launched the LA Reads literacy initiative on April 1 at the Los Angeles Central Library.

(photo by Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers)

Dodgers players Rich Hill, Andre Ethier and Yasmani Grandal read to 80 students in the 3rd and 4th grades. Ethier was joined by his wife Maggie, and Grandal was accompanied by his wife Heather. Participating families received free Penguin Random House books for children and took photographs with the Dodgers players and team alumni Billy Ashley, Dennis Powell and Al Ferrara.

LA Reads is a joint initiative by the Dodgers and LADF to promote literacy by getting children excited about reading. Throughout the baseball season, Dodger players, coaches, wives, executives and alumni will read to children at libraries, schools and nonprofit program sites.

Additionally, the Dodgers Reading Champions challenge runs through August to motivate 1st through 8th graders to read. Students who read more than 30 minutes per day will be rewarded with incentives such as opportunities to enter the field at Dodger Stadium. For information, visit dodgers.com/lareads.