Cambria Estate Winery and First Book Team Up to Promote Literacy

The Santa Barbara County winery will raise funds to donate 10,000 books

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Sep 01, 2011, 03:12 ET

SANTA MARIA, Calif., Sept. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of September as National Literacy Month, Cambria Estate Winery is partnering with First Book, a nonprofit organization that provides new books to those in need. The Santa Barbara County winery is committed to raise at least $20,000 for First Book, an amount which translates to 10,000 books. To do this, Cambria today launched a text-to-donate campaign: Donors can text the word "FIRSTBOOK" to 20222, and a $5 donation will be added to their phone bills. Donors in select states will also be entered in a weekly giveaway through October to win an Amazon Kindle Wireless Reader.

"Cambria has a long tradition of supporting education," said Katie Jackson, whose family established Cambria in 1986. "It's amazing what the presence of books can do to a person's life. Literacy is empowering, yet so many people are unable to read. We'd like to help change that."

More than 11 million people in the United States are non-literate — that's one in 20 adults, according to the National Assessment of Adult Literacy.

"We're delighted that Katie and everyone at Cambria Estate Winery is stepping up to support our work," said Kyle Zimmer, First Book's president and CEO. "The donation of brand-new books, made possible by Cambria and their customers, will change the lives of thousands of families."

In addition to the national campaign, Cambria is collecting books in its tasting room. Guests 21 or older who bring a new or used book will receive a complimentary tasting. The books will be donated to Altrusa International of San Luis Obispo and The Head Start Program in Santa Maria. The Cambria tasting room is located at 5475 Chardonnay Lane in Santa Maria. Hours are daily, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

About Cambria Estate Winery

Founded in 1986 and celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, Cambria Estate Winery is located in the Santa Maria Valley appellation of Santa Barbara County, an area that has built a reputation for site-reflective Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. To learn more, visit www.cambriawines.com.

About First Book

First Book has distributed more than 85 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income families throughout the United States and Canada. By making new, high-quality books available on an ongoing basis, First Book is transforming the lives of children in need and the elevating the quality of education. For more information, please visit them online or follow their latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

SOURCE Cambria Estate Winery