Fisher Cats Visit Dozens Of NH Schools For Reading Challenge

With Opening Night less than two weeks away, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Blue Jays Double-A affiliate) and their beloved mascot Fungo are making their final few visits to schools across the Granite State to promote the 2022 Fisher Cats Reading Challenge, sponsored by Eversource.

Thanks to Eversource, students who read five books outside of their regular curriculum can earn two tickets to a Fisher Cats game and play catch on the field. Schools with one hundred percent participation are entered into a sweepstakes pool with prizes totaling $5,000 from the Fisher Cats and the Fisher Cats Foundation.

"We've had a blast visiting schools and connecting with students this offseason, and we're consistently encouraged by their enthusiasm for reading," said Fisher Cats President Mike Ramshaw. "We thank our friends at Eversource for supporting this program once again, and we can't wait to reward our Reading Challenge students at Delta Dental Stadium this season."

Over 3 million books have been read as part of the Reading Challenge since its inception in 2010, with an average of 150 participating schools each year. In 2018, the Fisher Cats Reading Challenge was nationally commended by the American Association of School Librarians.

“The Reading Challenge is always an enjoyable way for our young people to develop essential skills while having fun,” said Eversource’s Vice President of Energy Efficiency, Tilak Subrahmanian. “We’re thrilled to see students and schools excited to participate once again.”

The Reading Challenge is an important part of the Fisher Cats’ year-round effort to give back to local communities. Since 2007, the Fisher Cats and the Fisher Cats Foundation have provided more than $5.7 million in monetary and in-kind donations for thousands of organizations. During that time, the Fisher Cats Foundation has awarded $398,000 in scholarships to college-bound high school seniors. Schools can still register for the Reading Challenge on the community page at NHFisherCats.com.

The Fisher Cats home opener is on schedule for Tuesday, April 12 at 6:35 p.m. against the Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies) at Delta Dental Stadium, with a magnet schedule giveaway from Eastern Propane & Oil and a spectacular postgame Atlas Fireworks show.

Tickets are on sale now at NHFisherCats.com.