Bowling Green, Ky. — The final product of a $36,000 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball grant has hit classrooms across Bowling Green and Warren County.

In May, WKU announced that it had received one of 17 grants given by the NCAA, with the idea of introducing a literacy program for the 2008-09 academic year. The program included an essay and art contest entitled "How Can WKU Help Make My Dreams Come True". The project centers on "Dream Big", a children’s book that focuses on Lady Topper head coach Mary Taylor Cowles’ encouragement and support of a young girls’ dream to be a Lady Topper.

With the help of Drobocky Orthodontics — which also believes that every child has the right to follow their dreams — all children in grades 2-5 received a complimentary copy of the book. Each book also includes a season ticket to the 2008-09 Lady Topper basketball campaign, and two more tickets to two specified games, meaning more than 6,000 new season tickets were distributed for WKU Women’s Basketball. The books were delivered to schools Nov. 5-7. Cowles will also be making presentations to students at schools in Auburn and Russellville, Ky., in the coming weeks as part of "Fall Into Books". In addition, Lady Topper players and coaches will be making visits to schools throughout Bowling Green and Warren County to read the "Dream Big" book to classes and talk about the importance of literacy.

Four winners from Warren County and Bowling Green in grades 3-5 were selected in the "How Can WKU Help Make My Dreams Come True" contest. Each winner will receive a one-time scholarship of $2,250 to attend WKU should they enroll. The contest winners included:

3rd Grade — Darby Potter, Potter Gray Elementary

4th Grade — Abby Minnicks, Rockfield Elementary

5th Grade — Caleb Miller, Natcher Elementary

Overall Winner — Leonardo Trinh, 4th grader, Natcher Elementary

All four winners will be recognized during a special presentation at halftime of WKU’s 2 p.m. (CST) game against nationally-ranked Vanderbilt on Sunday, Nov. 16. WKU will showcase all the winners’ artwork and essays in a video during that presentation. All artwork and essays that were submitted to the contest will also be showcased in the concourses of E.A. Diddle Arena that day.

As an added feature, Sarah Lenore — a finalist on NBC’s hit show America’s Got Talent — will sing the national anthem prior to the game, and will also perform at halftime. A 20-year-old Detroit native, Lenore moved to Nashville, Tenn., in August, 2007. Her band has performed all over the Midwest the last four years, opening for such national country music acts as Travis Tritt, Joe Nichols, Sammy Kershaw, Danielle Peck and Jason Aldean.

For tickets to this or any other Lady Topper game, contact the WKU ticket office at 1-800-5-BIG RED.