[StBernard] Millions Celebrate NEA's Read Across America Day

[Westley Annis]

Millions Celebrate NEA's Read Across America Day
Thursday March 2, 10:00 am ET  
Reading Tour 2006 Culminates in New Orleans as Celebrities, Athletes,
Politicians Join NEA to Deliver New Books to Gulf Coast Public Schools 


CHALMETTE, La., March 2 /PRNewswire/ -- The ninth annual National Education
Association's Read Across America Day was more than the nation's largest
reading celebration. With nearly 45 million participating nationwide, it was
the party with a purpose that brought together celebrities, athletes,
politicians, education leaders and other notable public figures for a very
special cause: to bring the gift of reading to children who have been
affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma.
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Michelle Williams, vocalist and former member of the Grammy-award winning
vocal group Destiny's Child was on hand with NEA President Reg Weaver to
read Dr. Seuss classics to more than 1,000 elementary students at St.
Bernard Unified School. The public school is the only fully operational in
the parish after Hurricane Katrina decimated the New Orleans area last year.
Joining Williams were New Orleans Saints quarterback Adrian McPherson and
wide receiver Nate Poole, athletes from Loyola University, politicians from
both sides of the aisle and other local celebrities.

"We decided to set off on a reading tour through the Gulf Coast as a way to
give back to communities that were devastated by the hurricanes last summer
and fall," said Weaver. "As millions of schoolchildren rediscover the joy of
reading, we wanted to ensure that those who have lost so much were also in
the company of a good book."

Beginning February 27, three "Cat-A-Vans" kicked off in Baton Rouge, La.,
Beaumont, Texas, and Biloxi, Miss., to bring books back to Gulf Coast
schools. NEA's Reading Tour 2006 throughout the Gulf Coast states covered
over 2,700 miles, delivered approximately 14,000 books, and visited more
than 20,000 schoolchildren.

The weeklong tour culminated today in the town of Chalmette, located in St.
Bernard parish, which largely has been missed by the media spotlight to its
higher-profile New Orleans neighbor. Of more than 13 schools in the parish,
the former high school has ballooned in size and become a unified school,
housing more than 1,600 students in grades pre-kindergarten through 12.

During the Reading Tour 2006, NEA's Read Across America joined forces with
NEA's Books Across America -- a nationwide program launched last month and
aimed at providing books to public schools and students in need --to deliver
a much needed supply of new books and money to more than 40 public schools
in more than 26 Gulf Coast Cities. Book donations were made possible by the
generous donations of The Heart of America Foundation and First Book,
partner organizations of the new Books Across America program.

First Book provided every child in each school visited with a new book,
while The Heart of America Foundation donated new library books for all the
schools involved in the Reading Tour. In addition, The Heart of America
Foundation will be pairing up NEA member schools in other parts of the
country with Gulf Coast public schools to help provide them with new books.
NEA member schools will achieve this through organizing book drives and
coordinating fundraisers throughout the year.

"Gulf Coast public school libraries are still in desperate need of new books
and supplies, six months after the devastating hurricanes," said NEA
President Reg Weaver. "Bringing books back to these schools and students who
have lost so much is a top priority for NEA. We are engaging our 2.8 million
members and people nationwide to do everything they can to help rebuild Gulf
Coast public school libraries."

Read Across America -- the only event that will get teachers, principals and
school employees to dye their hair blue, cook up a breakfast of green eggs
and ham, or be duct-taped to a wall if it boosts their students' enthusiasm
to read -- calls on every community from coast to coast to celebrate Dr.
Seuss's birthday through reading motivation and awareness. Sponsored by NEA,
Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P., and more than 50 partner organizations on the
national level, the award-winning literacy program also provides resources
and activities needed to keep reading on the calendar 365 days a year.

NEA's efforts to restock Gulf Coast public libraries will continue beyond
its Reading Tour 2006. Millions of individuals nationwide are expected to
join the program by donating money and new books, fundraising, organizing
book drives and volunteering their time to deliver books.

Along with its partners -- The NEA Foundation, First Book and The Heart of
America Foundation -- Books Across America is offering a number of ways
individuals can help out, including the following:


    *  The NEA Foundation is collecting monetary contributions to provide
       directly to public schools so they can replenish their materials.
    *  Through First Book, individuals can buy specific books for children
to
       read at home. First Book is also offering several opportunities for
       volunteers to help get even more books into the hands of children.
    *  The Heart of America Foundation is spearheading book drives to get
       books to public school libraries and classrooms.  They are also
       providing information to volunteers on how to organize their own
       drives.

NEA's Reading Tour 2006 is the organization's second action aimed at
providing hurricane relief. In September 2005, immediately following
Hurricane Katrina, the Association set up a Hurricane Relief Fund for
students, teachers and school employees affected by the hurricane. In
addition, NEA provided $500,000 in direct aid, set up a toll-free helpline
for Gulf Coast school employees and created the NEA Adopt a School Program
to match donors with schools and classrooms in need of assistance.

For more information about the Reading Tour, Books Across America and NEA's
Read Across America Day activities and events, visit
http://www.nea.org/readacross and http://www.nea.org/booksacross.

The National Education Association is the nation's largest professional
organization, representing 2.8 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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Source: National Education Association