"Today I plan on taking steps that go beyond being a part of the conversation, but a part of the solution," Sixers forward Tobias Harris said as he kicked off his 2019 Community Draft. The event, at Mastery Prep Elementary, was organized to model an NBA Draft, for the nine community-based organizations of Tobias’s choosing. A million dollars was pledged to help nine under-served communities across the U.S. and abroad. Read by 4th, Tobias’s number two "community draft" pick, received $200,000!

Managed by the Free Library of Philadelphia, Read by 4th is a coalition of partners and parents working to help Philadelphia children read on grade-level by the end of third grade. Tobias’s generous donation will further the "Six Bold Ideas" that guide the work of the campaign. Like Tobias, the guiding principles of Read by 4th create a holistic foundation upon which we are creating the solution. The key to this foundation is community engagement, and Reading Captains are the force moving the work forward in communities.

Tobias’s investment in Read by 4th will mean deeper community engagement in a way that truly impacts the community he has joined. At the Community Draft, Tobias shared about his lifelong dream to use his platform as a basketball player to give back to communities. We are honored and grateful to be a part of Tobias’s community dream team!