For Immediate Release:
February 8, 2005		   Print this Article
     

FIRST LADY DONATES 700 BOOKS TO BOBBY RAY MEMORIAL ELEMENTARY

CONTE DONATES BOOKS TO MCMINNVILLE STUDENTS FOR
“SCHOLASTIC READ FOR 2005”

Nashville - First Lady Andrea Conte presented 700 books to the students of Bobby Ray Memorial Elementary in Warren County recently as an Ambassador of Reading for the “Scholastic Read For 2005” program.

Joining first spouses across the country, Conte became an active participant in “Scholastic Read For 2005,” donating 500 English-language children’s books from the program as part of a worldwide initiative to encourage literacy.

Conte first became familiar with Bobby Ray Memorial Elementary when the students collected donations and presented them to the First Lady during her walk through McMinnville for “Andrea Walks for Tennessee’s Children,” her initiative to raise awareness about child abuse and the need to support Tennessee’s Child Advocacy Centers. Conte chose to donate her books to Bobby Ray Memorial as a way to reward the McMinnville students for their generosity.

Students at the elementary school attended an assembly on January 25 wearing t-shirts proclaiming “Bobby Ray has the Brightest Stars!” and were commended by the First Lady for their generosity and desire to help others. Conte then presented them with the Scholastic books as a way of encouraging them to continue learning more about the world around them and finding ways to enrich the lives of others.

During her visit to Bobby Ray, Conte learned the school has a high population of Spanish-speaking children and asked Scholastic if they would be willing to donate a few additional Spanish-language books to Bobby Ray Memorial. As a result, 200 Spanish-language children’s books are being sent to the school by Scholastic en español, a division of Scholastic.

Scholastic, the largest publisher of children’s books in the United States, recognizes the importance of fostering an early love of learning. During Scholastic’s “Read For” program, children, parents, teachers and other community members join forces to celebrate reading and encourage participants to make reading a part of their everyday lives. In its sixth annual reading campaign, Scholastic’s “Read For” effort encompassed over one million students and 24,000 teachers in all 50 U.S. states and more than 37 countries worldwide.

As one of Scholastic’s Ambassadors of Reading, Conte supports literacy as an avenue for children to learn about and enrich the world around them.

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