Contact: Jim Redner/ Sarah Veltman GCI Group
323.930.0811
The Children’s Place Launches ReadingUSA
First Company to Answer LeVar Burton’s Funding Plea for Reading
Rainbow
NEW YORK -- August 12, 2003 -- The Children’s Place announces
today the launch of an innovative national children’s literacy
and community service program--ReadingUSA™. As part of the
ReadingUSA™ campaign, The Children’s Place has made
a major commitment to PBS KIDS’ Reading Rainbow to help
ensure its availability to all children on public television.
"I applaud The Children's Place as the first corporate underwriter
to provide critical support for Reading Rainbow," says LeVar
Burton. “This collaboration, along with PBS, will help
Reading Rainbow continue introducing children to quality literature
and
fascinating new people and places that give them a window to
the wonderful world around them."
“
The Children’s Place is thrilled to support PBS KIDS’ Reading
Rainbow, a show that has been a benchmark in children’s
educational programming for 20 years and plays an incredible
role in children’s literacy development,” says Ezra
Dabah, CEO of The Children’s Place. “ReadingUSA™ is
one way the company can give back to the community and generate
excitement about reading and learning.”
At the press conference today
announcing the launch of ReadingUSA, The Children’s Place and its CEO Ezra Dabah were joined by
LeVar Burton, Host of Reading Rainbow, Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Executive
Producer of Reading Rainbow, John F. Wilson, Senior Vice President
of PBS Programming and Pat Cornell, Vice President of Reading is
Fundamental (RIF). A portion of the proceeds from all back to school
denim sales at The Children’s Place from August 8 – September
31 will be donated to PBS KIDS’ Reading Rainbow and Reading
is Fundamental, the nation's largest nonprofit children's literacy
organization.
- more -
The Children’s Place
will also host a contest for children, offering them a chance
to appear on an episode
of Reading Rainbow.
In addition to its underwriting
partnership with Reading Rainbow, ReadingUSA™ will encompass a wide variety of ongoing literacy
projects to reach as many children and parents as possible. ReadingUSA™ programs
will primarily introduce young children to literature through reading
aloud activities, which have been found to increase vocabularies,
expand attention, and develop children’s interest in reading.
The Children’s Place
is a leading specialty retailer of high quality, value-priced
clothing and accessories
for children
ranging from newborns to ten year olds with over 670 stores
throughout the United States and Canada. Current basics and fashion
trends
in an extensive color palette are offered as coordinated outfits
specifically designed for children. For more information or
to find a store call 1-877-PLACE-USA or visit www.childrensplace.com
Reading Rainbow, hosted by
LeVar Burton, is a critically acclaimed award-winning half-hour
PBS KIDS’ series that turns children
on to books and reading. The series targets 4-8 year olds, and
is based on research that identifies these early years as the optimum
time for children to learn to read, and to adopt positive reading
habits, skills and attitudes. LeVar Burton is also the national
chairman of the “PBS KIDS’ Share a Story” literacy
initiative
Reading Rainbow is a production
of WNED-TV, Buffalo, NY and GPN/Nebraska Educational Telecommunication
and ranks among
the longest-running,
most watched and best-loved kid’s shows in the history of
public television. Designed to inspire children’s imaginations,
Reading Rainbow is a fast-paced, daily half-hour, magazine style
series encouraging a love of reading in children and building
lasting connections between children and books. For more information
call
1-800-228-4630 or visit www.pbskids.org.
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