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TOUCHDOWN FOR LITERACY
Support CanWest Raise-A-Reader initiatives and score an autographed CFL jersey from your favourite team at the CFL Grey Cup 2006 Jersey Auction. Click here for more information.
Photos from Raise-a-Reader Day 2006
Cheerios RAR Presenting Sponsor News Release-August 28 2006 (.PDF)
CanWest Raise-a-Reader raises $2.24 million for literacy programs (.PDF)
CanWest Global Foundation's charitable registration number is 883902645RR0001
CanWest Raise-a-Reader raises $2.24 million for literacy programs
National campaign increases donations by almost 20% over 2005
Thousands of volunteers across ten provinces raised $2,237,236 for literacy programs in Canada last Thursday during the annual CanWest Raise-a-Reader Day event. 100% of the monies generated in the one day exchange of daily newspapers for donations, will go towards literacy programs in each of the eighteen participating markets: Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, Hamilton, Windsor, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax, Saint John, Moncton, Fredericton, Charlottetown and St. John's. The total is expected to grow as donations continue to come through the CanWest Raise-a-Reader website (www.raiseareader.com) and calls to the donation line at 1-866-637-READ.
Celebrity hawkers from coast-to-coast braved weather and traffic to raise money; Jacques Demers, former NHL coach in Montreal, Ken King, President of the Calgary Flames; Norm McFarlane, Mayor of Saint John; Premier Pat Binns of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown; Trevor Linden of the Vancouver Canucks and Gordon Campbell, Premier of B.C. in Vancouver, Alex Steen of the Maple Leafs in Toronto and Laureen Harper, wife of Prime Minister Stephen Harper on the streets of Ottawa. Together with newspaper and television employees, sponsors and beneficiaries, these volunteers delivered a powerful message on behalf of all Canadians on the importance of improving literacy levels.
"This enthusiasm and success is unmatched", said Leonard Asper, President and CEO of CanWest Global Communications Corp. "Raise-a-Reader is now an established national literacy initiative, and our generous sponsors and participating newspapers both in our own company and outside of CanWest, share a common commitment to family literacy and the importance of providing resources and funds. One of our core values is to give back to the community and in that regard I am extraordinarily proud of the efforts of all involved."
Since its inception in 2002, the CanWest Raise-a-Reader program has raised $7.45 million for local literacy beneficiaries in participating communities. The 2006 fundraising total is almost 20% higher than in 2005, which proves Canadians care about developing a more literate society. CanWest Raise-a-Reader is the culmination of a month-long media campaign aimed at raising awareness and interest in the importance of essential skills like reading and writing in Canadian society. CanWest Raise-a-Reader is supported in part by generous donations from presenting sponsor, General Mills, as well as Assante Wealth Management, 7-Eleven stores, Microsoft, Scholastic Books and multiple sponsors in local newspaper markets across the country.
If you can read this, please help someone who can't
According to the International Adult Literacy Survey, low literacy levels are linked to low employment levels and higher crime rates. Millions of Canadians have difficulties dealing with printed materials such as reading a map or understanding a prescription. Encouraging others to improve their reading skills is an investment in our community and our future.
Why support Literacy?
According to the 2003 Adult Literacy & Life Skills (ALLS)
study: International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS)
http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/hip/lld/nls/Surveys/indexsurv.shtml
(Study is based on 23,000 Canadians)
• 42% of Canadian adults studied
have low prose literacy skills (continuous text
such as the type found in books and newspaper articles).
• Of this group, 15% (1 out of 7 people)
are at the lowest
level, Level 1.
• 27.3% are at Level 2.
• 58% of Canadian adults aged 16 to 65
studied possessed skills in the top three literacy levels
on the prose scale, indicating that they could meet
most everyday reading requirements including numeracy
and problem-solving... we have a long way to go! CanWest
Raise-a-Reader Mission Statement • At
CanWest mission is to raise funds, resources and awareness
for family literacy and educational programs across
Canada.
• 100% of all funds raised stay in the community
and go directly towards local family literacy and educational
programs in need. (charitable registration number is
required to receive funds).
CanWest Raise-a-Reader Mandate
• One of our Core Values
at CanWest is to 'Give Back to the Community'.
• CanWest Raise-a-Reader is a national literacy initiative supported at a local level.
• Local RAR program provides the personal connection and customizes the campaign to that market's needs & challenges.
"Teaching our children to read will ignite their intellect, imagination, and individuality. Giving back to our communities is an investment in our future. The gift of literacy empowers people and enhances our communities by creating opportunities to achieve success," said Leonard Asper, President and CEO, CanWest Global Communications Corp.
CanWest would like to acknowledge the generous support of our presenting sponsor General Mills Canada along with our national sponsors: Microsoft Canada, Scholastic Canada Ltd., 7-Eleven Canada Inc. and Assante Wealth Management.
British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell recognizes the importance of literacy and has provided matching funds for money raised through the CanWest Raise-a-Reader program during September since 2004, generating more than $3 million for literacy programs throughout British Columbia. "I look forward to working with my fellow premiers to ensure literacy is addressed as a national priority as we pursue our goal of making Canada the most literate nation in the world," said the Premier.
National Sponsors
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