To Celebrate the Month Honoring Libraries, Hooked On Phonics and Miss North Carolina Johna Edmonds Donate More than $2000 in Supplies to the Poorest North Carolina County Libraries
WHO: Hooked on Phonics and Miss North Carolina Johna Edmonds
WHAT: For National Library Month in April, Hooked on Phonics is teaming up with Miss North Carolina Johna Edmonds adopting all of Robeson County Libraries (there are 7 in the county), which during the current 2013/2014 Fiscal Year, received a budget of $3.36 per person. When combined with other funding sources (Municipal, State, County), our total government per capita is $7.43. This is the lowest budget in the state and the county ranks as the state’s poorest with more than 30 percent of its citizens living below the poverty line. It also has a nearly 40 percent illiteracy rate, one of the highest in the state. Another alarming stat regarding Robeson County Library system especially for younger readers (pre-K to first) is the county has 12,212 Easy Books (picture/board/beginning reader) for approximately 15,800 estimated children ages 0-7. That equals 121 classrooms of 30 children without a single book from our collection or .77 of an easy book per child ages 0-7. Below, is additional information about the event:
- Two Entities With The Same Mission-Literacy: Hooked on Phonics (www.hookedonphonics.com), producer of award-winning educational tools to assist parents teaching their children to read and recently launching a brand new iOS mobile app for download in the Apple iTunes Store heard of these alarming stats and figures teaming up with Miss North Carolina Johna Edmonds (who is a Lumberton, NC native) who is a role model and extremely passionate about the fight against illiteracy with her “Readers To Leaders” platform as the reigning Miss North Carolina.
- More about Readers to Leaders: Johna is promoting Literacy in America’s Youth. Her platform emphasizes service projects that educate not only students, but also teachers and parents on the importance of literacy among our state and nation’s young people.
- Adopting Robeson County Libraries Giving Back: Hooked on Phonics and Miss North Carolina Johna Edmonds are working with Robeson County Library Interim Library Director Katie Huneycutt developing a wish list for the library. Huneycutt described that one of the county’s seven libraries, Lumberton Library, to only have one functioning children’s computer (for children education games etc.) and are in need of these type of donations: technology (i.e. computers, laptops, tablets etc.), used and new books, learning products, school supplies. We would love to promote this call of action to the local community.
- More than $2000 in Donations Being Provided: Due to National Library Month, Hooked on Phonics and Miss North Carolina Johna Edmonds are donating the following:
- An iPad 2
- A brand new computer system with the most updated Windows operating system
- Hundreds of new children’s books
- Hooked on Phonics products and award winning educational tools
- Hooked on Phonics mobile app with free access for all library members to use via the iPad
- Over 150 local children/students will be attending the event from Pre-K to 1st grade and will receive one educational book to take home with them.
VISUALS:
- Reigning Miss North Carolina Johna Edmonds reading to more than 150 students and interacting.
- Miss North Carolina Johna Edmonds announcing the partnership with Hooked on Phonics and “adopting” of Robeson County Library.
- Presentation of the donations (see above) to Interim Director Katie Huneycutt.
- 150 plus students receiving new books for them to take home with them.
INTERVIEWS: Can be with Hooked On Phonics spokesperson (pre-event via Skype/Phone), Miss North Carolina Johna Edmonds (pre-event and at event) and Robeson County Library Interim Director Katie Huneycutt (pre-event and at event)
DATE AND TIME:
- Event Date: Tuesday, April 1, 2014
- Time: Media can arrive at 10 a.m. Event starts promptly at 10:15 a.m. and last until Noon.
WHERE: 101 North Chestnut Street, Lumberton, NC 28358
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Chris Powell at 760-902-9870 or at chrispowellPR@gmail.com.
