New England Patriots Super Bowl champ Malcolm Mitchell appears in Haverhill on Monday, June 18. (Courtesy photograph)
New England Patriots wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell is taking a break from his NFL duties Monday to kick off summer with elementary schoolers during an interactive “Reading Rally” at Haverhill’s YMCA, 81 Winter St.
An afternoon of free, family-friendly activities kicks off after school at 3 p.m., when children are welcome to use the Y facilities at no cost. Students can also enjoy a bounce house, face painting and arts and crafts before pizza is served at 5 p.m.
Twenty-four-year-old Mitchell is scheduled to read his self-published story, “The Magician’s Hat,” to students at 6 p.m. A magic show by John Logan is also planned before Carter’s Ice Cream serves dessert for attendees.
Staged in conjunction with Mitchell’s Share the Magic Foundation and the Haverhill Education Coalition, the Haverhill Reading Rally is an event parents can enjoy alongside their kids, says Share the Magic’s Executive Director Beth Pann.
“Whether you’re seven-years-old or you’re 47, Malcolm has this ability to make a connection,” Pann told WHAV of the Super Bowl champ.
Ahead of Mitchell’s visit, all first-graders in the Haverhill Public Schools system received a copy of “The Magician’s Hat,” which illustrates how a book can inspire even the most impossible dream.
The first 75 children at Monday’s event will also receive a copy, organizers said.