CINCINNATI, Jan. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/
-- Employees of The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP)
nationwide will put more than 172,000 books into the hands of
children in need across the country today for National Reading
Day.
The donations are part of the Scripps Howard Foundation's annual
"If You Give a Child a Book …" childhood literacy campaign – a
partnership of the Scripps Howard Foundation, employees of The E.W.
Scripps Company and members of the Scripps family. Now in its
fourth year, the campaign has distributed more than 352,000 books
to children.
The "If You Give a Child a Book …" campaign receives donations
from Scripps employees and matching dollars from members of the
Scripps family. In some markets, community members also donated to
the cause. Every dollar is used to purchase books for children in
need. Books are purchased at a discount through a partnership with
Scholastic Book Fairs, further maximizing the purchasing power of
every donated dollar.
Scripps' Local and National Media brands have partnered with
low-income schools and local nonprofit groups that work directly
with children and families to present the books on National Reading
Day and throughout this year as part of the "If You Give a Child a
Book …" campaign.
Scripps will celebrate National Reading Day with programs and
events across the country. Some examples include:
- Scripps' WTXL in Tallahassee,
Florida, will donate books to John G. Riley Elementary
through a book fair in partnership with Scholastic.
- In Waco, Texas, KXXV will
donate books to three schools across three different school
districts in central Texas – West
Avenue Elementary, Peebles Elementary and Neal Elementary.
- In the Foundation's hometown of Cincinnati, WCPO and Scripps' corporate office
will donate books to Lincoln Heights Elementary School and
Oyler School in Ohio, and Lincoln Elementary and John G.
Carlisle Elementary in Northern
Kentucky.
- Other Scripps stations are partnering with local organizations
that support childhood literacy to give away the books. WXYZ in
Detroit will present five book
fairs at 17 Head Start programs throughout metro Detroit this year. WMAR in Baltimore is partnering with a local community
foundation to give books to 15 libraries across the city.
- Scripps' national news network Newsy will donate over 4,000
books to the Chicago Public Library Foundation.
"Minutes spent reading books at an early age is an important
predictor of a child's success – from their school years through
adulthood, as they seek out and interpret information that helps
them navigate the world around them," said Liz Carter, president and CEO of the Scripps
Howard Foundation.
"Studies show that every book generates
approximately 180 reading minutes. That means
children in poverty will spend nearly 31 million minutes
reading books from this year's campaign donations. We're humbled by
the incredible commitment of Scripps employees and the communities
they serve."
Since the program's inception, the Foundation has granted five
$10,000 grants annually on National
Reading Day, totaling $200,000.
As in previous years, five organizations will be surprised on
National Reading Day with an additional $10,000 grant to invest in literacy programs for
the communities they serve. Recipients are selected through a
competitive application process.
For more information on the Foundation or to donate to the "If
You Give a Child a Book…" campaign, visit ifyougiveabook.com.
About the Scripps Howard Foundation
The Scripps Howard Foundation supports philanthropic
causes important to The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) and the
communities it serves, with a special emphasis on excellence in
journalism. At the crossroads of the classroom and the newsroom,
the Foundation is a leader in supporting journalism education,
scholarships, internships, minority recruitment and development,
literacy and First Amendment causes. The Scripps Howard Awards
stand as one of the industry's top honors for outstanding
journalism. The Foundation improves lives and helps build thriving
communities. It partners with Scripps brands to create awareness of
local issues and supports impactful organizations to drive
solutions.
About Scripps
The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ:
SSP) advances understanding of the world through journalism. As the
nation's fourth-largest independent TV station owner, Scripps
operates 60 television stations in 42 markets. Scripps empowers the
next generation of news consumers with its multiplatform news
network Newsy and reaches growing audiences through broadcast
networks including Bounce and Court TV. Shaping the future of
storytelling through digital audio, Scripps owns top podcast
company Stitcher and Triton, the global leader in technology and
measurement services. Scripps runs an award-winning investigative
reporting newsroom in Washington,
D.C., and is the longtime steward of the Scripps National
Spelling Bee. Founded in 1878, Scripps has held for decades to the
motto "Give light and the people will find their own way."
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SOURCE The E.W. Scripps Company