'Calgary Flames Reading... Give it a Shot!' program reaches 1M students

(FILE)

The "Calgary Flames Reading... Give it a Shot!" program is now one-million strong.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Educational Partnership Foundation and the Calgary Flames Foundation announced the seven-digit milestone of students impacted by the literacy initiative.

A recent visit to Patrick Airlie School in the city's southeast tipped the score to a proud high point.

"We're incredibly proud of our partnership with the Calgary Flames Foundation in growing this program over the years," said Barb Simic, president and CEO for the Educational Partnership Foundation.

"Literacy is a fundamental human right, and the 'Calgary Flames Reading... Give it a Shot!' program has become a cornerstone of literacy education in Alberta."

The program has been investing in student literacy since 1995 – nearly 30 years.

It uses collectible cards as reading rewards, with the first cards featuring Calgary Flames players.

The program started in Calgary and expanded provincewide in 2018.

It also expanded the cards to include Canadian wildlife, endangered species and dinosaurs.

This year, cards include Calgary Stampeders and Edmonton Elks players.

"The number of families that have reached out over the years to express the positive impact the program had on their school life is significant," said Candice Goudie, executive director for the Calgary Flames Foundation.

"This is an important and meaningful milestone for us, and for the people that support the community work of the Calgary Flames and Calgary Flames Foundation."

Tuesday's announcement noted the program had one of its biggest supporters in the late Ken King.