Ochsner, NOLA Public Schools Team Up for FREE Book Fairs in March and April; Saints Players, Cheerleaders will Join Superintendent Dr. Avis Williams

(New Orleans – March 20, 2024) — Ochsner Health is collaborating with NOLA Public Schools, Scholastic Books and the New Orleans Saints to support Orleans Parish public schools by hosting three student book fairs in March and April to promote the importance and joy of reading. Ochsner will donate 300 books per school, and each student will receive three books to take home at no cost to them or the school.

NOLA-PS Superintendent Dr. Avis Williams will attend each event, along with New Orleans Saints players, the team mascot, and cheerleaders.

Each event will kick off with a pep rally and giveaways. Speakers will offer brief remarks before Saints players engage with students as they choose their three books to take home.

The book fairs are scheduled for the following dates and locations:

• 9-11 AM on Tues., March 26 – Success at Thurgood Marshall, 4621 Canal St.

• 9-11 AM on Thurs., April 4 – Young Audiences at Lawrence Crocker, 2301 Marengo St.

• 12:30-2:30 PM on Wed., April 24 – The NET Alternative Schools and Youth Empowerment Project hosted at The NET East, 12000 Hayne Blvd.

The book fairs are organized by Ochsner Health's school partnership team and Scholastic Books. These events are a crucial part of Ochsner's ongoing commitment to education. Increasing equitable access to high-quality learning and enhancing STEM literacy begins with a foundation in reading.

More information about Ochsner education outreach is available online.

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About NOLA Public Schools: NOLA Public Schools is the public school district for Orleans Parish. It includes the district's administration and elected school board, known as the Orleans Parish School Board. NOLA Public Schools currently oversees 67 public schools and is led by Superintendent Dr. Avis Williams, the first woman in the District's 181 years to serve as its permanent superintendent. For more information, visit www.nolapublicschools.com. For updates, follow NOLA Public Schools on Facebook @NOLAPublicSchools, Instagram @nolaps and Twitter @NOLAPSchools.

About Ochsner Health: Ochsner Health is an integrated healthcare system with a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate. Celebrating more than 80 years of service, it leads nationally in cancer care, cardiology, neurosciences, liver and kidney transplants and pediatrics, among other areas. Ochsner is consistently named both the top hospital and top children's hospital in Louisiana by U.S. News & World Report. The not-for-profit organization is inspiring healthier lives and stronger communities through its Healthy State initiative, a bold and collaborative plan to realize a healthier Louisiana. Its focus is on preventing diseases and providing patient-centered care that is accessible, affordable, convenient and effective. Ochsner Health pioneers new treatments, deploys emerging technologies and performs groundbreaking research, including 4,000 patients enrolled in 685 clinical studies in 2022. It has more than 37,000 employees and over 4,700 employed and affiliated physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties. It operates 46 hospitals and more than 370 health and urgent care centers across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Gulf South; and its cutting-edge Connected Health digital medicine program is caring for patients beyond its walls. In 2022, Ochsner Health treated more than 1.4 million people from every state and 62 countries. As Louisiana's top healthcare educator of physicians, Ochsner Health and its partners educate thousands of healthcare professionals annually. To learn more, visit https://www.ochsner.org/.