Back to School Giving: Macy's and Reading is Fundamental (RIF) Raise Over $1.7 Million in August Campaign Supporting Children's Literacy

Macy's receives 'Champion of Children's Literacy' award in recognition of its long-standing support of children's literacy

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Reading Is Fundamental

Sep 08, 2021, 09:50 ET

NEW YORK and WASHINGTON, Sept. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In support of students and teachers returning to the classroom, Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) and Macy's announced that over $1.7 million was raised last month during an in-store round-up and online donation campaign to support student literacy across the country. Funds raised during the campaign will support RIF's Race, Equity and Inclusion work providing books and reading resources to underserved communities and distributing diverse books to support empathy and understanding; while also supporting RIF's newly launched reading initiative to drive reading frequency and motivation, Rally to Read 100.

For 18 years, Reading Is Fundamental, the nation's preeminent children's literacy organization, has partnered with Macy's to foster a love of reading and learning. Macy's long-standing partnership has resulted in a total contribution of more than $45 million toward children's literacy, the distribution of more than 14 million books and the creation of more than 10,000 supplemental literacy resources and tools.

"Literacy is the very foundation of learning, and we are grateful to work with an organization that puts giving back as a core pillar of its values and prioritizes children's literacy," said Alicia Levi, President and CEO of Reading Is Fundamental. "Through Macy's generous donations, Reading Is Fundamental can continue to supply meaningful reading resources to children, educators and families, especially in the most under-resourced communities."

In recognition of Macy's longstanding commitment to children's literacy, RIF named Macy's the 2021 "Champion of Children's Literacy," among noteworthy individuals since 2015 such as Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor; Senator Patty Murray; children's book author and illustrator Lulu Delacre; and actor, director and author LeVar Burton. Brendan Halford, Macy's Houston-Deerbrook Mall Store Manager, accepted this award during a private ceremony on behalf of all Macy's colleagues.

"Macy's is honored to be recognized with the 2021 'Champions of Children's Literacy' award for our 18 year-long commitment to helping RIF get books into the hands of kids who need them," said Sam Di Scipio, Macy's Sr. Director, Corporate Communications, Giving & Volunteerism. "We share RIF's belief that every child deserves to read, and the funds raised through our August round-up campaign will help children across the country get back on track this fall."

In addition to raising money to provide students with critical books and reading resources, Macy's Educator Appreciation Awards also honored three educators who have shown excellence in supporting their students' literacy and learning, and have demonstrated meaningful impact implementing RIF programmatic efforts through Macy's past funding. To celebrate the deserving educators, Macy's provided gift cards and in-store styling sessions, customized school supplies (based on classroom needs), new books for their classroom library and RIF Literacy Kits for their students, created and delivered by Macy's colleagues.

To learn more, please visit macys.com/gives.

About Macy's:
Macy's is America's Department Store. For more than 160 years, Macy's, the largest retail brand of Macy's, Inc., has served generations at every stage of their lives. Through a digitally led shopping experience powered by macys.com, our award-winning mobile app, and a nationwide portfolio of stores, Macy's customers come to us for fashion, value and high-quality products. We are proud of our heritage and the unique role we play in American culture and tradition. We celebrate occasions big and small, and have created decades of memorable experiences through Macy's 4th of July Fireworks® and Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade®, as well as spectacular fashion shows, culinary events, flower shows, and celebrity appearances. With the collective support of our customers and colleagues, Macy's helps make a difference in every market we serve, supporting local and national charities through funding and volunteer service. With fashion, value and celebration as our guide, Macy's makes life shine brighter for our customers, colleagues and communities. For more information, please visit macysinc.com.

About Reading Is Fundamental:
Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is committed to a literate America by inspiring a passion for reading among all children, providing quality content to create impact, and engaging communities in the solution to give every child the fundamentals for success. As the nation's largest nonprofit organization for children's literacy, RIF has provided more than 420 million books to over 100 million kids in all 50 states, inspiring generations to read, learn and grow. Learn more at www.RIF.org.

SOURCE Reading Is Fundamental