Ron Sims came prepared with a dog-eared library copy of “The Hit-Away Kid.” He had already devoured the book, cover to cover, before reading it aloud to Ms. Tolbert’s fifth-grade class at Minor Elementary. Associates from Regions Bank’s legal department and representatives of the Birmingham law firm Maynard Cooper & Gale teamed to read to K-5 students at Birmingham City Schools as part of Birmingham Reads 2015, an event sponsored by Better Basics and supported by the Junior League. “Having the opportunity to encourage the importance and joy of reading for fifth-grade students at Minor Elementary School was truly a blessing,” said Sims, who works in Regions legal department. “In addition, it was a lot of fun. I would definitely recommend that others at Regions participate in this program.” The annual event draws volunteers from across Alabama’s largest metro area and from dozens of businesses. John Bolus, an attorney at Maynard Cooper & Gale, helps organize his team of volunteers each year. The firm’s External Relations group works on community outreach programs such as Birmingham Reads. “For me, it’s great to see the interaction between these young kids, the teachers and the volunteers who are united by the importance of reading,” Bolus said. “The first thing I tell them is that I have a job that requires a great deal of reading, and I couldn’t be successful without the ability and passion to read. “For our firm, working with Regions on this event is a natural partnership because we work so closely with their legal and business side and we know how active Regions is in the community,” Bolus added.