Moon Twp., PA - Hyde Elementary and Allard Elementary, both from the Moon Area School District, were the big winners in the inaugural Robert Morris University "Battle for the Books" promotion held during this past Colonial basketball season. Hyde earned the $1,000 first prize while Allard took home the $500 second prize. The cash awards for each school's library were made possible by a grant from the Northeast Conference of which RMU is a charter member.
Battle for the Books is a cooperative partnership encompassing 19 elementary schools from eight districts in western Allegheny and eastern Beaver counties. More than 10,000 students received a ticket voucher sheet good for two free admissions to every Robert Morris home men's and women's basketball game in 2011-12. The winning schools were determined by the number of vouchers received at the gate as a percentage of student enrollment at that particular school.
"We're grateful for the support that we receive here in Moon Township and all over the Greater Pittsburgh area," says second-year Colonial Men's Basketball Head Coach Andy Toole. "Fans are coming to the Sewall Center in increasing numbers. That gets our players excited and makes for a great atmosphere night in and night out. Anything we can do to give back to the community, we're more than willing to do."
RMU women's hoops attendance this past season was up nearly 40 percent over the 2010-11 season while the men's increased by over 25 percent. For their part, the two teams responded by going a combined 22-7 at home this past campaign for a 76 percent winning percentage.