Yalsa, WWE® name Wrestlemania® Reading Challenge finalists

NEWS For Immediate Release April 5, 2013

Contact: Jaclyn Finneke

CHICAGO – Eighteen regional winners in grades 5-12 from across the United States and Canada have won a chance to compete in the WrestleMania® Reading Challenge  Finals on April 6, 2013, at City College in New York. The WrestleMania Reading Challenge is sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), and  WWE®.

All finalists win transportation, hotel, tickets and spending money to attend WrestleMania 29 at MetLife Stadium on April 7, 2013  with a parent or guardian. Their sponsoring library receives  a $2,000 contribution to support local literacy programs. Finalists will compete in the WrestleMania Reading Challenge  Finals, where they can win ringside tickets to WrestleMania 29 and other prizes.

Each finalist from grades 5-6 will be provided a copy of Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper. Each finalist from grades 7-8 will be provided a copy of Chronicles of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg, and each finalist from grades 9-12 will be provided a copy of This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel to read in preparation for the final competition on April 6.

The 2013 regional winners are:

Grades 9-12: Kazek Israni-Winger, Oakville, Ontario, Canada, sponsored by Elise C Cole, Kenyan Gustafson, Sleepy Hollow, Ill., sponsored by Danielle Pacini; Benjamin Havel, Gloversville, N.Y., sponsored by Carla Bengle-Mackey; Joanna Wallace, Hopewell, Va., sponsored by Patricia Scanlan; Javier Llantin Cruz, Bridgeport, Conn., sponsored by Michael Bielawa; and Rose Gonzalez, San Diego, Calif., sponsored by Leticia Castellanos.

Grades 7-8: Harneek Kapoor, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, sponsored by Jessica Bates; Yesenia Castelan, Whiting, Ind., sponsored by Montserrat Inglada; Fenesse Walker, Rochester, N.Y., sponsored by Meghan Kitz;  Marc Ortiz, Ramon Pons, Bridgeport, Conn., sponsored by Diane Antonelli; and Frankie Sindelar, Billings, Mont., sponsored by Jennifer Kruger.

Grades 5-6: Fiona Woolley, Galway-Cavendish-Harvey, Ontario, Canada, sponsored by Heather Kennedy; Angelina Manfredini, Westchester, Ill., sponsored by Andrew Troppito; Estevan Morales, Syracuse, N.Y., sponsored by Christina Limpert; Joshua Bendle, Quinton, Pa., sponsored by Peg Noctor; Dianna Nielsen, Port Jefferson Station, N.Y., sponsored by Nicole Taormina; and Autumn Dudley, San Diego, Calif., sponsored by Leticia Castellanos.

About YALSA

For more than 50 years, YALSA has been the world leader in selecting books, videos, and audio books for teens.  For more information about YALSA or for lists of recommended reading, viewing and listening, go to www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists, or contact the YALSA office by phone, (800) 545-2433, ext. 4390, or e-mail, yalsa@ala.org.

About WWE’S Corporate Social Responsibility

WWE’s global community outreach programs address important social issues, including education, diversity and inclusion, military support and fulfilling wishes and dreams. WWE and its Superstars and Divas support a wide range of programs, partners and initiatives that strive to positively impact children and families worldwide, including the “Be a STAR” anti-bullying campaign, WrestleMania Reading Challenge, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Make-A-Wish, WWE Tribute to the Troops and many more. For more information log onto www.WWECommunity.com

About WWE

WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family-friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE programming is broadcast in more than 145 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 600 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, London, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Istanbul and Tokyo.

Additional information on WWE (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/ blocked::http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/">http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.

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