CITGO Fuels Literacy With Thousands of Children During National ‘Read for the Record®’ Campaign
Day-long national celebration includes visits to more than 25 elementary schools across 12 states
HOUSTON, October 19, 2017 /3BL Media/ - In partnership with Jumpstart’s annual Read for the Record® campaign, CITGO Petroleum Corporation is participating in a day-long celebration across 12 states on October 19 to spread the joy of reading and help achieve a new reading record.
Throughout the day, CITGO representatives and Miss America 2017-2018 State Titleholders will visit 25 elementary schools in the Central and Southern U.S. to read aloud the Read for the Record campaign book, Quackers by Liz Wong. Following the read aloud, new books will also be distributed to each student courtesy of CITGO partner, Bess the Book Bus, a mobile literacy outreach program that travels nationwide distributing free books to children in underserved communities.
“Together with CITGO, we are excited to distribute books and a love of literacy to approximately 4,000 students during this year’s Read for the Record campaign,” said Jenn Frances, founder of Bess the Book Bus. “There is truly nothing better than helping a child feel pride and joy in owning a book, and I look forward to continuing to spread this to other communities with the help of CITGO as the Book Bus continues to tour the rest of this year.”
The Read for the Record campaign will include visits to schools in 12 states where CITGO stations are located, including Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin. The events will all take place simultaneously on October 19 to break a record for reading the same book at the same time.
“The Read for the Record initiative is an incredible way that CITGO is helping to fuel education throughout our local communities,” said Alan Flagg, CITGO Assistant Vice President of Supply and Marketing. “In partnering with Bess the Book Bus and each participating state’s Miss America titleholder, we are empowering today’s youth and teaching them about the enjoyment and importance of reading every day.”
To learn more about how CITGO is fueling education in communities across the country and to download free STEM education resources, visit www.fuelingeducation.com.
About Bess the Book Bus
Bess the Book Bus is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization committed to extending literacy across the country. Run by Jennifer Frances of Tampa, Fla., the organization visits local communities across the country in a specially designed "book bus," coordinating reading events and providing children with free, new books for them to keep. For more information, visit www.bessthebookbus.org.
About Jumpstart’s Read for the Record
Jumpstart is an early education nonprofit organization fueled by the core belief that providing high-quality early learning opportunities to all children contributes to breaking the cycle of poverty. Jumpstart launched the Read for the Record campaign over a decade ago to highlight the importance of building early literacy and language skills for EVERY child, so that all children have the opportunity to enter kindergarten prepared to succeed. Previous year’s Read for the Record book selections have included beloved children’s classics such as The Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle; The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf; Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney, and many more. Learn more at www.readfortherecord.org.
About CITGO
CITGO, based in Houston, is a refiner, transporter and marketer of transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products. The company is owned by CITGO Holding, Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A., the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. For more information, visit www.CITGO.com.
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