During the team's bye-week, members of the Rams 2024 rookie class visited Valor Academy Elementary School to read the team's children's book Ride with Rampage to students as a part of the organizations Rams Readers reading challenge. From August to November the Rams partnered with After-School All-Stars to challenge first through third grade students to read every day following the assembly at their school as part of the team's literacy program. The winning school will receive tickets to Disneyland Resort for all participating students.
Donny Faaliliu, Senior Vice President of Leadership and Community Outreach at After-School All-Stars, discussed why their partnership with the Los Angeles Rams is so vital to the growth and success of students.
"The rookies telling the students that they read before they go to sleep or that they read to their children is so important and it says a lot about the Los Angeles Rams and their literacy program," said Faaliliu. "For them to be here and plant those seeds for students to be productive citizens and great individuals through literacy, it really is special."
The rookies, along with Rams Cheerleaders and mascot Rampage, read to students at their campus. Running back Blake Corum reflected on how special it was to take the message of education and reading to students.
"Reading to the kids and giving back to the youth, that's what it's all about," said Corum. "No football players came out to my school growing up so I think it's an awesome day for the Rams to come out to a school and show them the importance of reading and education in general."
In addition to reading at the assembly, defensive end Braden Fiske and others also visited students in their classrooms.
"It's a message that anything is possible. Growing up, it was a dream of mine to become an NFL player, and it started here in the same type of seats," said Fiske. "I'm glad to be out in the community and share the same kind of message."
Ride with Rampage is a key component of the Rams Readers program, which encourages students to explore the excitement that reading can provide while helping improve literacy rates among students throughout Los Angeles. The book centers around mascot Rampage, driving a Rams-branded double decker bus around Southern California, picking up young Rams fans and Rams Cheerleaders at each stop along the scenic route to the team's home at SoFi Stadium.
The Rams kicked off the Rams Readers literacy program and released Ride with Rampage in 2022, in celebration of Read Across America Day. Since launching the program, the Rams have visited more than 80 schools and distributed over 15,000 copies of Ride with Rampage to first through third-grade students in schools across Southern California. Copies of Ride with Rampage can be purchased at www.ramsfanshop.com, Amazon, and in select Barnes & Noble locations across Los Angeles. All proceeds from retail purchases will benefit the Los Angeles Rams Foundation.
To learn more about the Rams' community efforts, please visit www.therams.com/community.