Pierce and Boston mayor Tom Menino pose with kids from the Manning School.

On Thursday, Dec. 20, 2001, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino joined Celtics co-captain and Read to Achieve spokesman Paul Pierce and his All-Star Reading Team at the Manning School in Jamaica Plain to read the Grinch That Stole Christmas?and other books as part of the Celtics Read to Achieve program, a partnership between the Boston Celtics and ReadBoston.

Celtics player Roshown McLeod, Celtics COO/CFO Rich Pond, Celtics trainer Ed Lacerte, WHDH-TV Channel 7 Sports Anchor Gene Lavanchy and Boston Globe sportswriter Shira Springer also participated in the reading event.

Reading Team members read to hundreds of young children who had met their reading goals for the month. After reading, Paul and Roshown toured the school and distributed bookmarks, keychains and stickers.

The Read to Achieve program is an NBA initiative designed to promote the value of reading, and to build a lifelong love of reading in young people by providing greater access to books. Each month, the Celtics All-Star Reading Team visits the school with the highest level of participation of students in the Read to Achieve/ReadBoston program.

　

Pierce and Menino share a story.

Celtics trainer Ed Lacerte (L) and Dir. of Public Affairs Meghan Wright (R) look on as COO/CFO Rich Pond reads to the kids.

Roshown McLeod and Boston Globe writer Shira Springer (R) read "The Grinch" with a Manning school student and WHDH-TV Channel 7 Sports Anchor Gene Lavanchy (L).