Pajama Program and Scholastic Book Clubs Team Up to Help 100,000 Children Sleep Better and Read More

For Every Pair of Pajamas Donated Through Scholastic's Pajama Drive, Scholastic Book Clubs' ClassroomsCare Will Donate a Bedtime Book to Children in Need

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Scholastic Corporation

Sep 30, 2010, 09:30 ET

NEW YORK, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Students and families across the country can help Scholastic Book Clubs send 100,000 books to children in need through the Pajama Program this year. In celebration of The Pajama Program's 10th Anniversary, Scholastic Book Clubs' ClassroomsCare program is joining to help make bedtime a little bit better for kids during "danger season," when the thermostat begins to dip and a comfortable bedtime is even harder to come by for some children.

Scholastic Book Clubs is issuing a national "call for pajamas" and is asking people across the country to participate in the second annual Pajama Drive. They can send new pairs of pajamas to Scholastic headquarters, where they will be packaged and delivered to the Pajama Program before the holidays, or bring them in person to local donation centers across the country. Scholastic Book Clubs will match every pair of pajamas donated with a book for a bedtime story. Scholastic Book Clubs will donate a total of 100,000 books in support of the Pajama Program's 10th Anniversary.

Students in classrooms across the country can participate in giving by donating pajamas and by reading through the Scholastic Book Clubs ClassroomsCare, a philanthropy-based literacy campaign designed to teach children about the joys and importance of reading and giving, students are helping others while they help themselves – and learning how important it is to read everyday to lead a better life.

This school year, the ClassroomsCare theme is "United States of Reading." With the help of teachers nationwide, Scholastic Book Clubs is challenging students to read 10 books per student per classroom triggering a donation of one million books to kids in need from Scholastic Book Clubs.

"Pajama Program has been a valued partner of Scholastic Book Clubs for four years now, and we're excited to do even more this year to help ensure that bedtime complete with story time is special for every child across the country," said Judy Newman, President of Scholastic Book Clubs. "ClassroomsCare is all about teaching kids about the value of reading and giving back, and we continue to be amazed at the generosity of kids and families across the nation and their passion to make a difference."

"Scholastic is such an incredible and generous partner for us," said Genevieve Piturro, Pajama Program Director. "Our children have so often been removed from their homes and schools and these books from Scholastic help them keep up their reading practice. Our children are so hungry for books and we are grateful for Scholastic's support."

Since its inception, the Pajama Program has provided over 900,000 new pajamas and new books to children across the country, operating 79 chapters in 42 states throughout the U.S. The program serves children in need living in group homes and shelters. Most have never enjoyed the simple comfort of having a parent tuck them in at bedtime with warm, clean pajamas and a story.

Pajama Program's mission becomes more urgent during the period it identifies as "Danger Season" when the thermostat dips and the harsh winter months settle in. Starting October 1, Pajama Program works hard to heighten the public's awareness of the need to keep these at risk children in warm, clean nighttime clothing and with a bedtime book to allay their fears.

The Pajama Program meets the Better Business Bureau's 20 charity standards, the highest ranking for non-profits. For more information visit the website: www.pajamaprogram.org.

For more information about Scholastic or Scholastic Book Clubs, visit the Scholastic Media Room.

SOURCE Scholastic Corporation