Thanks to the silver tongues of readers in Naperville, Ill., Chicago-area children in need will receive 10,000 new books from First Book and Cheerios. The readers participated in a First Book Speed Read on Saturday, held at the Jewel-Osco in Naperville, and hosted by Donna Labonte, wife of #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge driver Bobby Labonte. The speed readers read a total of 1,423 words during the event. First Book and Cheerios will make an extra donation of new books for local children for a total of 10,000 books. The First Book Speed Read, created by First Book, a nonprofit organization that provides brand new books to children from low-income families, is an interactive and entertaining event that helps raise awareness about the importance of books and reading in children’s lives. Participants “speed read” as many words as possible aloud from a children’s book in just 15 seconds. During Saturday’s event, the winning ‘speed reader’, Jaleesa Parks, from Chicago (Ill.), read an astonishing 83 words from the children’s book Wiggle by Doreen Cronin. While Donna Labonte helped raise books for kids off the track, her husband Bobby helped raise books for kids on the track through the Race for Books. Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories and First Book are donating 43 books to disadvantaged children for every lap completed by Bobby Labonte in the #43 Cheerios Dodge during the 2007 racing season. Labonte completed 266 laps on Sunday, generating an additional donation of more than 11,000 books for children in the region. So far this season, Labonte’s efforts on the track have resulted in more than 228,000 books for children in need nationwide.(Petty Racing/Cheerios PR)(7-20-2007)
