More than 400 elementary students ran drills with Carolina Panthers players at Bank of America Stadium on Tuesday, Sept. 15. The field day launched 3rd & Goal, a new literacy and wellness program for K-3 students at Title I schools across the Carolinas.
The program pairs the Panthers with Bank of America to build daily habits around three pillars: Read 20 (20 minutes of reading), Play 60 presented by Atrium Health (60 minutes of physical activity) and Feel 100 presented by Blue Cross NC (social-emotional wellness tools). Organizers said they expect the initiative to reach about 10,000 students across North and South Carolina, WBTV reported.
The announcement was distributed to Ballantyne Elementary School families through the school's website on Sept. 15, according to a CMS post.
About 40% of CMS third graders are not proficient in reading, according to the district. CMS data released Sept. 2 showed third-grade reading proficiency on the state assessment climbed 11 percentage points in 2025-26, from 46.3% to 57.3%. The program cites research showing children not reading proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to drop out.
At the field day, students ran drills alongside current Panthers players, learned wellness tips from health experts and practiced reading with cheerleaders, staff and Bank of America volunteers. Former Panthers player Thomas Davis Sr. helped students at the reading station. Superintendent Crystal Hill cheered students from the sidelines.
Matthew Slota, principal of Winding Springs Elementary School, said the event put students in a position to succeed. "When we talk about the whole child, we're talking about making sure we're putting our kids into the best possible positions to be their best self," Slota said at the launch.
In classrooms, the program will use incentive-based reading challenges. Students collect custom Panthers souvenir charms for their wristbands as they hit milestones. At the end of each school year, participating schools will select 15 outstanding third graders to attend a field day at Bank of America Stadium: five for literacy, five for physical education and five for positive peer support.
Additional partners include Scholastic, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the South Carolina Board of Education and the Children's Theatre of Charlotte, Queen City News reported. Kristi Coleman, CEO of Tepper Sports & Entertainment and Panthers president, and Kieth Cockrell, president of Bank of America Charlotte, both participated in the launch.
Organizers said the stadium field day will become an annual event.
