WASHINGTON, DC, Feb 01 (MARKET WIRE) --
From Seussville to Who-ville and Oh, those many great places in between, the
Cat in the Hat will help put reading on the map! The 11th annual Read
Across America Day -- the party with a purpose that gets kids of every age
excited about reading -- is expected to draw more than 45 million
participants on Monday, March 3.
"When children open the pages of a good book, reading can ignite their
imaginations and open the doors to a reading wonderland," said NEA President
Reg Weaver. "Whether it's a thrilling mystery or a fantasy set in a land
far, far away, find a nook and be in the company of your favorite book this Read
Across America Day."
NEA's Read Across America -- sponsored by the 3.2 million-member National
Education Association, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P., and more than 50
national partner organizations -- is a year-round literacy campaign designed to
motivate children to read by making it fun and culminates every year around the
birthday of Dr. Seuss, the beloved children's book author.
Revving up their engines, three Cat-A-Van tours will hit the road to bring
the
gift of reading to thousands of schoolchildren. Covering more than 1,200
miles and visiting more than 18 cities, the tours will provide an estimated
12,000 books and thousands of cash grants to public schools and their
libraries through a generous donation from NEA's Books Across America. Launched
in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma, Books Across America
provides books and cash grants to public schools in need. More details on the
program are available at www.nea.org/booksacross.
But the reading fun doesn't stop there! The Cat-a-Van tours will travel
toFlorida for "Read Across Spring Training," designed to bring reading fun
toballparks as Major League Baseball teams show they got game by hosting special
read-ins for local children.
Since 1997, NEA's Read Across America has attracted some of the biggest
celebrities in entertainment and sports to help children discover the joy of
reading. Past celebrity participants include Morgan Freeman, Garth Brooks,
James Earl Jones, Amanda Bynes, Serena Williams, Tiki Barber and Michelle
Williams.
"Although children have many distractions like TV, video games and high-tech
gadgets, nothing rivals the power of reading the written word," said Weaver.
"The challenge is cutting through the competitive clutter to get children
energized about reading. That's why Read Across America has been so
successful at cultivating a love of books for young readers -- it makes
reading just plain fun."
Visit www.nea.org/readacross for more reading tips, book lists and
information on local events happening nationwide. Photos, video footage, public
service announcements and other Seuss-tastic downloads are available to the
media
by contacting NEA Public Relations at (202) 822-7823 or newsdeadline@nea.org.
The National Education Association is the nation's largest professional
employee
organization, representing 3.2 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher
education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators,
retired educators and students preparing to become teachers.
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CONTACT:
Staci Maiers
NEA Public Relations
(202) 822-7823
Email Contact
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