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closeCheerios Race For Books Program To Help Kids In Need
Friday, Feb. 16, 2007
Daytona Beach, Fla. (February 16, 2007) – The 2007 race season just got bigger for Bobby Labonte and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team. Today, Cheerios® announced a season-long Race For Books program that will begin this weekend during the 49th annual Daytona 500. The program will continue through the season-finale at the Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway on November 18.
Understanding the importance of getting new books into the hands of young children, Cheerios and nonprofit partner First Book® will donate 43 books for every lap that Labonte and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team complete during the entire 2007 race season. With a schedule that includes 36 races, Labonte and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team have the opportunity to earn more than 400,000 books for children in need.
“Cheerios is proud to announce the Race For Books program in 2007,” said Ricardo Fernandez, marketing manager for Cheerios. “Bobby is a true champion on and off the track. This is another chance to make a difference by earning books for children who need them. We are hoping for a successful 2007 season with the team on the track and making a big difference off the track as well.”
Labonte, a father of two, truly appreciates the importance of getting books to every child possible.
“As a father and professional racer I know how important reading is,” said Labonte. “Reading is a part of life every day. We are looking forward to success on the track in 2007, but now we can be winners off the track, too. I am proud to be associated with Cheerios and First Book. We are going to work as hard as we can to earn as many books as possible.”
This is not the first time that Cheerios, First Book and Labonte have teamed up to get books to kids in need. Labonte and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team earned more than 125,000 books in the final 10 races of 2006. He recorded four top-10 finishes during that stretch.
ABOUT CHEERIOS
Cheerios, America’s No. 1 cereal, debuted in 1941 as Cheerioats. The nation’s first ready-to-eat oat cereal has since become one of the most trusted and recognized brands in America. In fact, one of every 10 boxes of cereal sold in America is a box of Cheerios. General Mills’ popular franchise includes Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Frosted Cheerios, Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, MultiGrain Cheerios, Berry Burst Cheerios, Yogurt Burst Cheerios and Fruity Cheerios. Cheerios also has a publishing division that includes the popular Cheerios Play Books and other activity books. For more information, go to www.cheerios.com.
ABOUT FIRST BOOK
First Book is an international nonprofit organization with a single mission: to give children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books. Through hundreds of local Advisory Boards, the First Book National Book Bank, and the First Book Marketplace, the organization provides an ongoing supply of new books to children participating in community-based mentoring, tutoring, and family literacy programs. Since 1992, First Book has provided more than 46 million brand new books to children in need in thousands of communities nationwide. For more information about First Book, please visit www.FirstBook.org or call 866-393-1222.
Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Frosted Cheerios, MultiGrain Cheerios, Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, Berry Burst Cheerios, Yogurt Burst Cheerios and Fruity Cheerios are trademarks of General Mills.
