BOOK IT! Announces Record-Breaking Participation in America's Biggest Bedtime Story

BOOK IT! Program to Donate Funds for 50,000 Meals to Haiti

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Mar 01, 2010, 12:56 ET

DALLAS, March 1 /PRNewswire/ -- On Feb. 18, readers across the nation made history by gathering around their computers in record numbers to participate in America's Biggest Bedtime Story. During the webcast event presented by BOOK IT!®, the reading incentive program sponsored by Pizza Hut, 203,659 readers watched award-winning actor and author John Lithgow share one of his favorites, Carnival of the Animals.

BOOK IT! offered extra encouragement for readers to log on as the program entered its third year -- if more readers participated in America's Biggest Bedtime Story this year than last, BOOK IT! would donate funds for 50,000 meals to Haiti Relief through the World Food Programme. BOOK IT! is thrilled to announce that America graciously accepted the challenge and last year's magic number – 197,972 – was met, and exceeded, this year.

"We are thrilled with the success of this year's event, and we are proud to offer funds for 50,000 meals to feed the people of Haiti through the World Food Programme," said Leslie Brunt, program director of the BOOK IT! Program. "Thank you to all of the readers who participated in the program to spread the word about the importance of reading at home and make a contribution to Haiti relief."

2010 marked the third year of the America's Bedtime Story event, which was created to encourage families to read together for at least 20 minutes each night.

For those who missed the event, there is still one last chance to view the webcast before it is archived. The webcast will remain available at www.bookitprogram.com through Friday, March 5. So parents, grab your kids and PJs and log on to participate in the biggest bedtime story in history. As an added bonus, readers will also be able to view last year's webcast, where John Lithgow read his book I Got Two Dogs.

Parents can also find helpful tools on www.bookitprogram.com, including tips on encouraging literacy at home and a bedtime story contract to encourage nightly reading as a family.

About John Lithgow

John Lithgow, two-time Emmy and Tony Award winner, and two-time Academy Award nominee, was the star of the long-running hit comedy series "3rd Rock from the Sun" for NBC-TV. He most recently found success on television with his Golden Globe-winning performance on Showtime's "Dexter." Lithgow can currently be seen at the Second Stage Theatre in New York City starring alongside Jennifer Ehle in Douglas Carter Beane's new play "Mr. & Mrs. Fitch." His 1982 Academy Award-nominated portrayal in "The World According to Garp" brought Lithgow national attention. He received his second Academy Award nomination the following year for his role as Debra Winger's lover in "Terms of Endearment." Just some of his other notable film credits include his panic-stricken airline passenger in "Twilight Zone: The Movie," "Memphis Belle," "Footloose," "All That Jazz," Brian DePalma's "Blow Out," "Raising Cain" and "Shrek." Addressing a completely new audience in "John Lithgow's Kid-Size Concert," a music video of children's classics and original tunes, Lithgow also showcases his talents as an actor, singer, songwriter, and co-producer. Born in Rochester, NY, John Lithgow lives in Los Angeles, CA.

About BOOK IT!

In 1985, Pizza Hut established the BOOK IT! National Reading Incentive Program to motivate children to read more and help them develop a lifelong love of reading. BOOK IT! is a six-month program for students in kindergarten through sixth grade. For more information, visit www.bookitprogram.com.

About Pizza Hut

Pizza Hut delivers more pizza, pasta and wings than any other restaurant. The only pizza company to be named a top ten franchise in 2009 by Entrepreneur Magazine, Pizza Hut began 50 years ago in Wichita, Kansas and today operates thousands of restaurants around the globe. Pizza Hut, Inc. is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. (YUM). To check out what's new at Pizza Hut visit Pizzahut.com.