Sept. 19, 2007
VANCOUVER – For the fourth straight year, the provincial government will match donations raised by Can-West’s Raise-a-Reader Day in B.C. on October 3, 2007, Premier Gordon Campbell announced today.
“Literacy is the gateway to lifelong learning, opening the way for meaningful employment, a stronger sense of connection with friends and community, and the ability to rise to our full potential,” said Campbell. “Thanks to Raise-a-Reader, B.C. is well on its way to achieving the goal of being the best educated, most literate jurisdiction on the continent.”
The matching funding for the Raise-a-Reader campaign will go to support many family literacy groups, such as the Canucks Family Education Centre, Literacy BC, S.U.C.C.E.S.S., CNIB, Aboriginal HIPPY Canada (Home Instruction for Parents of Pre-school Youngsters) and Big Sisters of B.C. Lower Mainland.
“More than one million adult British Columbians do not have the skills needed to read a newspaper or to fill out a job application,” said Education Minister Shirley Bond. “Raise-a- Reader has raised over $3.4 million and we’re proud to continue supporting this initiative to improve literacy throughout the province.”
“Premier Campbell and the B.C. government’s support towards the Raise-a-Reader program is greatly valued,” said Kevin Bent, president and publisher of The Vancouver Sun. “The program is entering its 11th year and continues to increase awareness of literacy and raise money to fund children’s literacy programs in B.C.”
Since its inception in Vancouver in 1997, the Raise-a-Reader campaign and its sponsors have made significant contributions to help improve literacy for children and families across the province. The matching funding this year will help to support more than 180 beneficiary organizations and help British Columbia continue to lead the country in Raise-a-Reader fundraising. The B.C. government has been matching funds raised through the campaign since 2004, and to date has contributed over $1 million to The Vancouver Sun and Victoria Times Colonist campaigns.
Since 2001, the Province has announced over $123.5 million in new literacy programs including ReadNow BC in support of its goal of making British Columbia the best-educated, most literate jurisdiction in North America. ReadNow BC is the Province’s comprehensive literacy action plan to help provide adults, Aboriginal people, K-12 students and preschoolers with the skills they need to succeed. ReadNow BC was introduced in January of this year and has been supported with nearly $44.5 million in provincial funding, including the launch of the ReadNow BC website at www.readnowbc.ca.
