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ESPN is partnering with First Book, a nonprofit focused on equal access to quality education, by gifting approximately 22,000 books to Connecticut kids and teachers in need. On Thursday, September 5, ESPN will distribute 22,000 new and diverse books, intended for children aged birth – teenager as part of its local community and early childhood literacy efforts. ESPN volunteers will be onsite to manage the book distribution held at Willow Brook Park in New Britain, Conn.
At ESPN, giving back to our local communities by providing reading resources is a significant and meaningful gift that allows for both academic success and personal growth,” said Kevin Martinez, vice president of ESPN Corporate Citizenship. “I am excited to partner with First Book to ensure thousands of Connecticut kids and educators have books of their own to take home.”
Attendees at the event will receive six books and all local Connecticut educators who attend will receive 25 books that range from novels, educational books, Disney storybooks and more.
“We are excited to partner with ESPN and spread the love of reading to our students,” said Mayor Erin Stewart. “At a young age, I fell in love with reading and credit my successes in life to it. We are so grateful to ESPN and First Book for providing these free books to our students.”
“Daily reading leads to academic success, so we are so appreciative that ESPN and First Book are offering free new books at all reading levels to capture the interests of students throughout our entire school district,” said Nancy Sarra, Superintendent of Schools. “I know our children and families will benefit from bringing home new books of their own to enjoy, and our educators will also be able to enrich their classroom libraries with books that help engage their students more.”
About ESPN Corporate Citizenship
ESPN believes that, at its very best, sports uplifts the human spirit. Its corporate citizenship programs use power of sport to positively address society’s needs through strategic community investments, cause marketing programs, collaboration with sports organizations and employee volunteerism, while also utilizing its diverse media assets. For more information go to www.espn.com/citizenship.
About First Book
First Book believes education offers children in need the best path out of poverty. Through a sustainable, market-driven model, First Book breaks down barriers to quality education by making new, high-quality books and educational resources, including sports equipment, winter coats, snacks, and more, affordable to its member network of more than 425,000 registered educators who exclusively serve kids in need. Since 1992, First Book has distributed more learning materials than any other program of its kind: 185 million books and educational resources, worth more than $1.5 billion, reaching more than 5 million children annually.
First Book also expands the breadth and depth of the education field through a family of social enterprises, including First Book Research & Insights, its proprietary research initiative, and the First Book Accelerator, which brings best-in-class research to the classroom via relevant, usable educator resources. Eligible educators, librarians, providers, and others serving children in need can sign up at firstbook.org/register. For more information, please visit firstbook.org or follow the latest news on Facebook and Twitter.
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Contact: Belen Michelis, ESPN, (860) 766-1425, [email protected]
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