>>> WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE A CHANCE TO
MEET ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE
HOUSTON ROCKETS PLAYERS, THIS IS
SO COOL, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME
HELPING TO BOOST LITERACY RATES
IN HOUSTON, WELL, YOU'RE IN
LUCK.
>> IT'S A REALLY COOL THING.
HERE TO EXPLAIN, WE HAVE LAUREL
DAN TONI AND CAREY OF THE
HOUSTON ROCKETS WOMEN'S
ORGANIZATION.
THANKS FOR COMING IN.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.
>> WE SHOULD POINT OUT, YOU'RE
MARRIED TO RYAN ANDERSON.
>> ENGAGED.
>> YOU'RE JUMPING THE GUN A
LITTLE BIT.
ALMOST.
>> ALL IN HOUSTON.
LAUREL, YOU ARE THE WIFE OF THE
ROCKETS HEAD COACH.
>> I AM, I AM.
WE'VE GOT THESE GUYS ALL
INVOLVED IN HELPING US DO SOME
NONPROFIT WORK IN THE MIDDLE OF
THE PLAYOFFS.
>> IT'S AWESOME.
>> THE PLAYOFFS START NEXT WEEK.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
WE'LL KNOW WEDNESDAY, NEXT
WEDNESDAY IS OUR LAST GAME.
THEN WE'LL KNOW ON THURSDAY WHO
WE'LL BE PAIRED UP WITH.
WE'RE EXCITED AND WE THOUGHT
SOMETHING LOW KEY, WE'LL DO A
BOOK DRIVE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
PLAYOFFS.
>> THIS IS FOR THE VERY FIRST
PLAYOFF GAME, RIGHT?
>> NOT MAYBE THE FIRST GAME.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE NBA
SCHEDULE IS GOING TO BE LIKE.
SO WE KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE THE
FIRST ROUND.
WHATEVER THE SCHEDULE COMES UP,
THEN WE'LL PICK A DAY.
PROBABLY BE MONDAY OR TUESDAY OF
THAT FOLLOWING WEEK.
WE DON'T KNOW.
BUT ON THAT THURSDAY, AS SOON AS
THEY GIVE US THE DATES, WHO
WE'RE PLAYING, THE TIME AND
DATE, WE WILL PUBLICIZE IT.
>> YOU CAN START COLLECTING YOUR
BOOKS NOW.
IT
TAKES A WHILE.
>> ALSO IT DOES TAKE A WHILE.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT A BOOK DRIVE
IS WE ALL HAVE BOOKS AROUND THE
HOUSE THAT MAYBE WE'RE NOT
USING.
I HAVE BRAND-NEW BOOKS THAT I
HAVE NOT BEEN USING.
AND WE TAKE THIS FOR GRANTED.
BUT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS
BEFORE ON THE SHOW.
THE HOUSTON BARBARA BUSH
LITERACY FOUNDATION.
WE HAVE AN ISSUE IN HOUSTON.
>> WE DO.
>> YOU'RE A NEW BOARD MEMBER.
>> I'M ACTUALLY ONE OF THEIR
LADIES FOR LITERACY.
YOU CAN ORGANIZE AND BE PART OF
THAT ORGANIZATION.
WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE ONE OUT
OF FIVE PEOPLE WHO ARE
FUNCTIONALLY ILLITERATE IN
HOUSTON.
WE KNOW ONE OUT OF FOUR THIRD
GRADERS AREN'T MEETING
STANDARDS.
THAT'S ONE OUT OF FOUR KIDS,
MAYBE ABOUT FOUR OUT OF THEM
WILL NOT GRADUATE FROM HIGH
SCHOOL.
IT'S A HUGE PROBLEM.
SO WE THINK -- CARRIE HAS
FOUNDATION.
THEY UNDERSTAND THEY NEED TO DO
STUFF IN THE COMMUNITY.
IT HELPS BY BRINGING BOOKS TO
THESE KIDS, WE KNOW THAT THE
MIDDLE AND UPPER INCOME FAMILIES
HAVE ABOUT 13 AGE APPROPRIATE
BOOKS AN HOUSEHOLDS.
LOWER INCOME HAVE ONE FOR 300.
WE'RE DOING A BOOK DRIVE AND OUR
LADIES, WE HAVE 33 MEMBERS OF
THE HOUSTON ROCKET WOMEN'S
ORGANIZATION.
HAVE PARTNERED WITH THE BARBARA
BUSH HOUSTON LITERACY.
THEY'RE EXTREMELY VETTED.
THEY'VE DONE AMAZING AMOUNT OF
RESEARCH IN TOWN.
AND ALONG WITH THEM AND RELIANT,
OUR MARKETING PARTNER WHO ALSO
WANTS TO WORK IN THE COMMUNITY
WHERE THEY SERVICE PEOPLE, WE
ARE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND DO
SOME REALLY GREAT PACKAGE.
AND MAYBE YOU CAN TELL US ABOUT
THE PACKAGES.
>> ONE OF THE THINGS IS YOU GET
A TICKET, ONE BOOK EQUALS --
>> ONE BOOK EQUALS ONE TICKET.
YOU WANT T BRING US 50 BOOKS?
YOU GET 50 TICKETS.
THE PRIZE PACKAGES ARE THE
STARTING FIVE.
YOU'LL GET A MEET THEM.
AND ALSO --
>> THIS INCLUDES YOUR FIANCE.
>> IT INCLUDES MY FIANCE.
THAT'S ONE.
>> NOT MY HUSBAND.
>> REALLY FUN ONE TO MEET.
>> REALLY CHARMING.
>> YEAH.
AND ALSO ERICpGORDON, IN THE
RACE FOR MAN OF THE YEAR.
YOU ALSO GET A REALLY COOL PRIZE
PACKAGE.
THERE IS NO LIMIT.
SO YOU WANT TO BRING US AS MANY
BOOKS AS YOU CAN FIT, AWESOME.
WE'LL BE TAKING THEM UP UNTIL
THE END OF THE FIRST QUARTER.
SO EVEN IF YOU'RE A LITTLE LATE,
THAT'S FINE.
YOU CAN STILL BRING YOUR BOOKS.
>> FOR EVERY BOOK, YOU GET A
RAFFLE TICKET AND AS MANY BOOKS
AS YOU BRING.
>> THAT NIGHT?
>> YOU MEET THEM THAT NIGHT.
WE'LL DO THE DRAWING RIGHT AT
HALF TIME.
>> RIGHT AROUND HALF TIME.
SO COME, BRING YOUR BOOKS.
>> WHAT IF SOMEONE IS RUNNING
LATE.
THEY DON'T HAVE TIME TO GO OUT
AND BUY SOME BOOKS OR GO THROUGH
THEIR CLOSET AND GET SOME?
CAN THEY MAKE A CASH DONATION?
>> PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT GOING TO
THE GAME AND STILL WANT TO HELP
WITH LITERACY, THE BARBARA BUSH
FOUNDATION HAS A MY HOME
LIBRARY.
ANYBODY CAN GET ON THERE
INTERNET SITE AND DONATE $30 AND
YOU WILL BE PURCHASING SIX BOOKS
FOR A CHILD WHO DOES NOT HAVE
HIS OWN HOME LIBRARY.
FOR $30.
SIX BOOKS.
>> IT COULD BE LIFE CHANGING.
>> OBVIOUSLY WE EXPECT -- WE'LL
BE SOLD OUT.
WE'LL HAVE 18,000 PEOPLE.
IF EVERYONE BRINGS ONE BOOK,
WE'LL GET 18,000 BOOKS.
IF YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO GO, YOU'RE
NOT IN TOWN OR WHATEVER, YOU
STILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO
HELP OUR LITERACY PROBLEM HERE.
>> IT'S CHILDREN'S BOOKS AND
YOUNG ADULTS?
>> NEW OR GENTLY USED BOOKS.
>> I JUST WANT TO UNDERSCORE, I
THINK IT'S SO COOL THAT YOU
LADIES ARE USING YOUR POSITIONS,
'CAUSE YOU REALLY DO HAVE A
PLATFORM.
A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW WHO YOU
ARE.
THEY KNOW YOUR SPOUSES.
TO USE THAT TO DO SOMETHING --
>> AND FIANCES.
>> AND FIANCE.
>> BUT IT'S GREAT WHEN YOU EARN
A POSITION OF VISIBILITY AND YOU
CAN USE IT TO DO SOMETHING.
IT'S AMAZING.
>> YEAH.
THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT OF THE
ORGANIZATION IS JUST, WE'RE ALL
TOGETHER.
LET'S CREATE A GREAT COMMUNITY.
LET'S HELP THE COMMUNITIES WE'RE
IN.
WE MOVE AROUND A LOT.
THERE IS A LOT OF IMPACT THAT WE
CAN DO.
A LOT OF IMPACT WE CAN HAVE IN
EVERY COMMUNITY WE'RE IN.
WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO BE DOING
THIS AND LOOK FORWARD TO MORE.
>> IT'S EASY BECAUSE IF YOU
DON'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION, THE
ROCKETS ACTUALLY PUT US ON THEIR
FRONT PAGE AT ROCKETS.COM.
OUR LITTLE ROCKET WOMEN
ORGANIZATION, IF YOU CAN'T
REMEMBER ALL OF IT, YOU CAN GO
THERE.
>> LAUREL, CARRIE, THANK YOU FOR
YOUR WORK.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, YOU CAN