XM Radio, Jumpstart Partner to Bring Books to Needy Kids

XM Satellite Radio is partnering with Jumpstart, a nonprofit organization that provides early education to at-risk kids, to get books into the hands of 4,000 preschoolers in Washington, D.C.'s low-income areas.

To reach that goal, XM and Jumpstart, are asking listeners and others to make donations to ensure that these preschoolers receive their own copy of the children’s classic The Story of Ferdinand (Viking, 1936) by Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson. Published more than 50 years ago, this timeless bestseller tells tale of a bull name Ferdinand who would rather sit and smell flowers rather than butt heads with others.

In addition to the book drive, XM and Jumpstart have collaborated on Read for the Record campaign, a nationwide effort that took place yesterday to get hundreds of thousands of kids and adults to all read the same book on the same day. The D.C. event took place at the Smithsonian's Discovery Theater and featured Representative Elijah Cummings (D-MD.), as well as Joe Madison, the host of XM's The Power (XM Channel 169), who read The Story of Ferdinand to children who attended the event.

Approximately one-third of American children enter school unprepared to succeed, with low-income children being particularly at-risk due to lack of one-to-one reading activities, says Jumpstart.

"XM is committed to improving the quality of life in our community, which is why we set the goal to get a book in the hands of preschoolers that need one most,” says Chance Patterson, XM’s vice president of corporate affairs.

D.C.-based XM, through its outreach program XM Empowers, has already donated 2,000 books to meet this challenge. Those wishing to make a donation can visit www.xmradio.com/jumpstart. This Web site also lets children and parents listen to The Story of Ferdinand being read by familiar voices such as Maya Angelou, the singer and actress Mandy Moore, Indy racecar driver Danica Patrick and XM public radio icon Bob Edwards.