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Lehigh Valley Reads Launches Million Minute Challenge on Read Across America Day

United Way and Lehigh Valley Reads celebrated Read Across America and National Reading Month with a full week of events at United Way Community Schools all across the Greater Lehigh Valley. Volunteers read to students while mascot Corey delivered reading materials, supplies and more to Cheston Elementary School in Easton Area School District; Fountain Hill Elementary School in Bethlehem Area School District; and Central, Hays and Sheridan Elementary Schools in Allentown School District. Guest readers included volunteers from PPL, Crayola, Victaulic, Truist, People First and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

This celebration of reading serves as the official kickoff of Lehigh Valley Reads’ Million Minute Challenge, sponsored by CAI, People First and Truist, which also provided additional books and supplies for several schools. Everyone is invited to participate in this regional campaign to collectively read 1,000,000 minutes or more throughout the month of March. Families, individuals, schools and groups can pledge their minutes online through March 31 at www.lehighvalleyreads.org.

Lehigh Valley Reads is a regional literacy campaign, powered by PBS39 and United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, to ensure all Lehigh Valley students read on grade level by the end of third grade.

Photo credit: United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley/Marco Calderon Photography