Bright orange-shirted volunteers began selling special editions of the Citizen this morning in exchange for donations to local literacy projects as Raise a Reader Day starts across the city.
They are at all Tim Horton's outlets, Starbucks in College Heights, Pine Centre and near McDonald's on 15th Avenue, CNC, the HSBC building, UHNBC, UNBC and Sixth to Seventh Avenues and Victoria Street from 7 to 9 a.m.
Local sponsors are Assante Wealth Management; McDonalds; Telus; Rotary Clubs; UNBC and radio 99.3 The Drive, 101.3 The River and CKPG TV
Prince George is among only 28 communities across Canada participating in Raise a Reader Day.
"We're proud to be a RAR community," said Alan Ramsay, Citizen RAR co-ordinator, who knows how campaign funds distributed for literacy programs and projects help all ages explore new worlds through the magic of reading.
"Reading is a gift that we all can give through volunteering or donations," said Ramsay.
"Since its Canadian launch in 2002, RAR has raised $15 million for family programs across the nation, helping educate Canadians about literacy issues and how improved literacy levels have a positive impact on our country's economy and social well being.
"The program was initiated by The Vancouver Sun and originally ran as an isolated fundraiser in B.C. Today, the campaign is truly national with representation by newspapers in all ten provinces and the celebration of Raise-a-Reader Day in cities from Ucluelet, BC to St. John's, NL."
Statistics show that 20 per cent of B.C. high school graduates don't have enough literacy skills to further their education, and that 41.9 per cent of Canadians, 16 to 65 years, do not have the minimum skills to cope with everyday life and work demands.
Since RAR began in Prince George in 2007, the funds collected on the streets have been added to by national sponsors and matched by the provincial government.
To date the Prince George Raise-a-Reader program has distributed over $115,000 in community literacy projects.
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