Readers Ready to Strut Their Stuff

NEA’s Read Across America, Seussentennial Combine
To Make This Year’s Event Bigger and Better Than Ever

Washington, D.C. – From Maine to California, readers are ready to make March 2 a day to remember. Not only is it the seventh anniversary of the National Education Association’s (NEA) Read Across America, the day also marks what would have been the 100th birthday of Theodor Geisel, better known to millions around the world as Dr. Seuss.

Readers – young and old – from all walks of life have jumped on the reading bandwagon with more flair and creativity than ever before. Politicians from both sides of the aisle will join sports celebrities, recording stars, actors of stage and screen, firefighters and police officers to create a reading day that would have made the good doctor smile. Teachers, librarians, school professionals and businesspeople are going all out to make sure that on March 2, the focus is on reading.

“That focus,” says NEA President Reg Weaver, “means good things for our nation’s kids. NEA’s Read Across America is a party with a purpose – to show young people that reading not only is the gateway to success in school, but that it’s fun as well.”

A sampling of the fun taking place on March 2 includes:

• In Birmingham, Ala., singing sensation Ruben Studdard will read Green Eggs and Ham with his mother’s second-grade class at Chalkville Elementary School.

• In New York City, at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Tiffany Darden and Jim Jameson will read to area youngsters.

• In Richmond, Mich., members of the Steel Magnolias Red Hat Chapter will exchange their trademark red chapeaus for the stovepipe variety and read to students at Pine River Elementary School.

• In Atlanta, the boys who dream about reading every day (D.A.R.E.) will kick off their new literacy program aimed at promoting reading among young males in the metro Atlanta area. (March 13)

• In Norfolk, Va., the USS Normandy will be christened the USS Readership for a day as sailors and crew read to more than 100 area schoolchildren.

• In Philadelphia, singer Clay Aiken will read Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? to local elementary students on the campus of Temple University at the Liacouras Center.

• In Los Angeles, actor/children’s author Henry Winkler will be the headliner for “Read…for the Ride of Your Life” at the Hilton LA Airport. The hotel will host 250 local area schoolchildren to breakfast and reading by hotel staff. (March 4)

• In Las Vegas, showgirls will trade their usual feathered finery for the hat of the Cat and read to children at Fife Elementary School.

• Tiki Barber of the NY Giants and sportscaster Bonnie Bernstein will read to youngsters at P.S. 59 in New York.

• In Washington, D.C., Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer will read to students in the Library of the Court. (March 1)

Reading is Everybody’s Business

• Target Stores, Marshall Field’s and Mervyn’s across the nation will support NEA’s Read Across America starting February 29 by hosting Dr. Seuss book readings at more than 1,500 store locations.

• Employees of We Energies will celebrate with more than 100 employee volunteers reading to students in 50 schools in Wisconsin and Michigan.

• Saturn dealerships, longtime Read Across America partners, will provide vehicles for Cat in the Hat road trips in a number of states.

• Capital One, in partnership with the Heart of America Foundation, has organized book drives to collect and donate more than 250,000 books to children in need.

• Random House Children’s Books annually donates thousands of books for NEA’s Read Across America events and thousands more through First Book, a Read Across America partner that gives children from low-income families the opportunity to own and read their first new books.

February 27, 2004

Contact:
NEA Public Relations, 202-822-7200

Learn more about NEA’s Read Across America partners and events occurring in every state.

***

The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing 2.7 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers.