MIAMI, Sept. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Earlier today 100 students from Kipp Central City Primary, an elementary school in New Orleans, enjoyed a day of fun aboard the Carnival Triumph for the first-ever "Read & Rise" literacy day to celebrate their reading achievements as winners of the school's summer reading challenge.

The event was created in collaboration with Carnival Cruise Line, New Orleans Saints and Scholastic Book Fairs and was hosted by former Saints player Deuce McAllister who taught the students gridiron fundamentals with fun football-themed activities while encouraging them to read and stay active.

Prior to the event, all students from Kipp Central City Primary grades 2-4 each received $10 vouchers funded by Carnival to purchase books of their choice at the Scholastic Book Fair and participated in games and other activities held at their school reading rally.

Aboard Carnival Triumph, 100 students who won Kipp Central Primary's reading challenge, participated in gridiron drills that included the quarterback challenge, vertical jump and three-cone combine drill that are part of the Saints Junior Training Camp activities.

In addition, students enjoyed lunch on board the ship and received backpacks filled with logo items from Carnival and the Saints as well as an ocean-themed book provided by Scholastic Book Fairs. While on board, the children had the opportunity to tour the massive 102,000-ton cruise ship, which is nearly three football fields in length.

"Carnival has been a part of the New Orleans community for more than two decades and we're delighted to team up with the Saints and Scholastic Book Fairs on this fun football-themed event that provided these kids an unforgettable experience while promoting the importance of reading and literacy," said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.

"I'm honored to work with Carnival and Scholastic on behalf of the Saints to encourage local students to keep reading and stay active," said Saints legend Deuce McAllister. "These kids are so inspiring. We've all had a great day filled with fun and football and I think this was a great event to kick off the season."

"At Scholastic, we know how critically important it is for all children to have access to books," said Larry Wissinger, director of business development, Scholastic Book Fairs. "By working with organizations like Carnival and teams like the Saints, Scholastic is able to ensure more children are given the chance to become book owners, build their own home libraries and discover the power and joy of reading."

Carnival is the Official Cruise Line of the New Orleans Saints and New Orleans' largest cruise operator, with two year-round ships, Carnival Triumph and Carnival Dream, carrying 450,000 passengers annually - more than any other cruise line.

For additional information and reservations for Carnival Cruise Line, contact any travel agent, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit carnival.com. Carnival can also be found on:

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Journalists also can visit Carnival's media site, www.carnival-news.com or follow the line's PR department on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CarnivalPR.

About Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival, a unit of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), is "The World's Most Popular Cruise Line®" with 25 ships operating three- to 16-day voyages to The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, New England, Bermuda, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. The company currently has the 133,500-ton Carnival Horizon set to debut in 2018, along with two 180,000-ton ships scheduled to enter service in 2020 and 2022.

About the New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints became a franchise in 1966 and are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) of the National Football League (NFL). The club was purchased by Tom Benson in 1985 and led the team to its first-ever winning record and playoff appearance in 1987. The Saints won Super Bowl XLIV on Feb. 2, 2010 defeating the Indianapolis Colts, 31-17. Led by Owner Tom Benson, the team is committed to making a difference in the Gulf Coast region through numerous community initiatives. For more information about the New Orleans Saints, please visit www.NewOrleansSaints.com.

About Scholastic Book Fairs
Scholastic Book Fairs®, in partnership with schools across the country, hosts more than 130,000 book-sale events each year, reaching more than 35 million children and their families in pre-school through 9th grade. Book Fairs provide students, teachers, and parents access to thousands of affordable books and educational products and is responsible for putting more than 100 million books in the hands of children, while helping foster enthusiasm for reading and generating more than $190 million annually in fundraising for school projects and classroom materials. To learn more about Scholastic Book Fairs, please visit online at www.scholastic.com/bookfairs.

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SOURCE Carnival Cruise Line