Cheerioes and Reading – special #43 scheme at Atlanta: on Wednesday (March 6th) Cheerios announced a national commitment to childhood literacy. NASCAR driver John Andretti appeared at the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club of Atlanta to kick off a major book drive with Cheerios, Petty Enterprises and Kroger stores. The regional effort includes a major book donation to local charities, a book collection effort at Atlanta and Macon area Kroger stores, a free book offer on special-edition racing packages, and the Cheerios Literacy #43, which Andretti will drive in the Atlanta 500 this weekend. Surrounded by children at an after-school celebration, Andretti unveiled the new #43 and read aloud to the children. He also announced that Cheerios and Petty Enterprises will donate 43 new books to the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Clubs of Atlanta and Macon for every lap the #43 completes in this Sunday’s Atlanta 500.. If Andretti completes all 325 laps, 13,975 new books will be donated to children in Atlanta and Macon areas. To ensure that the program reaches as many children as possible, a minimum donation of 7,500 new books will be made. Atlanta and Macon area Kroger stores are also lending a hand in the literacy initiative. Now through March 16, book collection bins will be in more than 150 Kroger stores to help collect additional books for area children. Cheerios will donate a new book for every book donated by shoppers at Kroger stores, up to 7,000 books, to double the number of books children receive. All books collected will be distributed to local children’s organizations. In addition to the book donation, over 28 million boxes of Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Frosted Cheerios, Multi-Grain Cheerios and Apple Cinnamon Cheerios will offer three award-winning children’s books. The books, published by Knopf Delacorte Dell Young Readers Group, are free with two proofs of purchase and $1.25 for shipping and handling. In select Southeast markets, John Andretti is pictured reading with his family on special-edition packages featuring this offer. As part of the program launch, Cheerios has donated $100,000 to Reading is Fundamental (RIF), the nation’s largest children’s literacy organization, and will donate an additional 15 cents to RIF for every book redeemed through the on-pack promotion (up to $150,000). With these donations, RIF will help get even more books into the hands of children across the country.(IMG Motorsports PR/Cheerios Racing)(3-8-2002)
