Disney To Donate 1M Books To Underprivileged Youth

BURBANK, CA – Disney/ABC Television and Disney Publishing Worldwide announced Friday they will donate up to one million books to First Book, a nonprofit organization that provides new books to educators and organizations serving children from low-income families.

The goal of Disney's sixth annual Magic of Storytelling campaign, which runs through March 31, is "to inspire families' imaginations, cultivate a lifelong love of reading in kids and bring books to underserved communities across the country," according to the Burbank-based company. The donated books are distributed by First Book to educators in schools and programs exclusively serving children from low-income families around the United States.

"Access to books changes lives and elevates education -- the most powerful path out of poverty," said Kyle Zimmer, president and CEO of Washington, D.C.-based First Book. "We are proud to have distributed more than 61 million books through our long-standing relationship with Disney. We can't wait to share the magic of storytelling with more children this year. Disney's continued commitment to First Book is an invaluable contribution to today's children and future generations."

The Magic of Storytelling campaign was launched Friday morning on ABC's "Good Morning America," in a segment which featured an in-studio book giveaway, and the release of a public service announcement voiced by Oprah Winfrey, star of Walt Disney Studios' upcoming film "A Wrinkle in Time," based on the book by Madeleine L'Engle.

The PSA, which features Winfrey highlighting the life-changing impact books have on children, will be shared with audiences across all Disney platforms, including ABC affiliate stations and the ABC Television Network, the Disney Channel, Radio Disney, ABC News Radio and Disney Stores; the ABC, DisneyNOW and Freeform apps; and Disney Digital Networks publishing brands, including Oh My Disney and Babble.

From now through the end of March, consumers can activate Disney book donations -- up to a total of one million donations -- in one of four ways:

-- Disney will donate one book to First Book for every eligible Disney book purchased at a Disney Store location or participating retailer. A full list of eligible Disney books and participating retailers is available at MagicofStorytelling.com.

-- Disney will donate one book for every "shelfie" -- a selfie photo with a favorite book or in front of a bookshelf, shared on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #MagicOfStorytelling.

-- Users of Disney Story Central, Disney's digital reading platform, can download digital books designed for parents and children to read together. Disney will donate one book to First Book for every book read in the app.
-- Consumers who are 13 years of age or older can enter the Magic of Storytelling sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to Aulani, a Disney resort in Hawaii.

For each sweepstakes entry, Disney will donate one book to First Book, up to a maximum of one million books across all 2017-2018 Disney Magic of Storytelling book donation promotions.

To enter the sweepstakes and for official rules and information, visit MagicofStorytelling.com.

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--City News Service/Pixabay image via congerdesign