After Utah Gov. Gary Herbert announced Tuesday that schools in the state will remain closed through May 1 to combat the coronavirus pandemic, the Utah Jazz on Wednesday launched an initiative to encourage students to spend time reading, with a potential reward of some Jazz-related prizes.
Called “Bear’s Reading Challenge” after the Jazz’s mascot, the initiative invites students from kindergarten to 12th grade to read at least 600 minutes by April 27 (an average of roughly 20 minutes per day). A reading log featuring the court at Vivint Arena can be downloaded and kept, which will help students track how much time they’ve spent in books in 20-minute milestones.
When students have completed the challenge, guardians can fill out and submit a separate form online, which will enter students into a drawing to win prizes such as a 2019-20 autographed team basketball, an autographed jersey and prize packs.
The NBA is suspended until at least April 10. The Jazz have a record of 41-23, which is fourth in the Western Conference.