FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BETTER WORLD BOOKS BRINGS NATIONAL RIDE FOR READING WEEK TO MISHAWAKA AND DELIVERS BOOKS TO STUDENTS OF WALT DISNEY ELEMENTARY

Students will receive age-appropriate books as part of a national effort to increase literacy and promote physical fitness.

MISHAWAKA, IN, Sept. 1, 2015 – Ride for Reading will host a local book delivery to Walt Disney Elementary on Sept. 15, 2015 with the help of Better World Books and volunteers from the local cycling community. The ride will begin at the Better World Books warehouse located at 55740 Currant Rd in Mishawaka, IN. Volunteers will line up at 10:30 a.m. and leave the parking lot at 11:30 a.m. The program will last until 2:00 p.m.

Ride for Reading will provide the students the opportunity to select a book that they may take home to promote literacy both inside and outside the classroom.

“We have found that there is a gap between school and home when it comes to literacy,” said Juan Torres, executive director of Ride for Reading. “A lot of students don’t have books, much less age-appropriate ones, at home and this affects the progress that is made during the school day. We want to make sure every child has the tools necessary to succeed as we work to decrease, and ultimately eliminate, illiteracy rates.”

These deliveries are in support of the “Let’s Start with a Book” campaign launched by Ride for Reading to raise awareness about illiteracy in the United States. Over 45 million adults are considered to be functionally illiterate in the United States and 85% of juvenile delinquents have difficulties reading. These statistics take an annual 20 billion dollar toll in the economy.

Ride for Reading promotes literacy and healthy living among kids living in low-income communities by delivering age-appropriate books via bicycle. With the support of volunteers and sponsors, Ride for Reading is celebrating its fourth annual National Ride for Reading Week.

National Ride for Reading Week is an annual nationwide effort in which volunteer cyclists host book deliveries to schools in their communities. This year, with over 16 cities confirmed, Ride for Reading approximates that more than 30,000 books will be delivered. Delivery cities include Las Vegas, Nashville, Memphis, Philadelphia and Detroit.

Community volunteers can sign up to participate in the event as riders to transport and deliver books or as readers to help pass out books to students at http://www.rideforreading.org/event/national-ride-for-reading-week-2015

For more volunteer information or to donate online visit RideForReading.org/letsstartwithabook

About Ride for Reading

Established in 2008, Ride for Reading’s mission is to help children in low-income areas become healthy and literate. Highlighted by their unique way to get books into the hands of children, Ride for Reading has donated over 250,000 books to children of low-income families nationally. The organization has been featured in The Tennessean, Nashville Parent, International Mountain Bike Magazine, Bicycle Times, Mountain Bike Action and many more. 

About Better World Books

Better World Books (http://www.BetterWorldBooks.com) is a for-profit social enterprise and a global e-retailer providing products and information to socially conscious consumers. Better World Books collects and sells new and used books online matching each purchase with a donation, book for book, and with each sale generating funds for literacy initiatives in the U.S. and around the world. Since its founding in 2003, and Mishawaka, Indiana-based company has raised more than $21 million for libraries and literacy, donated 17 million books; re-used or recycled over 198 million books and achieved 44,000 tons of carbon offsets through carbon balanced shipping.