One
of many highlights of the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration last
April came
during breakfast Saturday morning when we were suddenly surprised as the Reading Rainbow Theme came
alive throughout the room. And then to
our amazement, as we all sang along to this melody that was such an important
part of all of our lives, we looked up to see LeVar Burton himself appeared before us.
I don’t think any rock star would have had more squeals of delight than
those that greeted Mr. Burton as he stood before us. 
For one brief moment time stood still and
each one of us was reminded of the joy and love that “Reading Rainbow brought into each of
our lives, and that of our children, and even our grandchildren. Even though “Reading Rainbow” left the
airways in 2006, thanks to the magic of the Internet, YouTube and videos, it’s
ability to instill and foster a pure and deep love of reading still lives
on. Two years ago, Burton came out with a Reading
Rainbow App
for the iPad in the hopes of connecting with today’s youth on
their technological level. But his quest to bring back the joy and art of
storytelling did not stop there as he was determined to bring an unlimited
library of books to a much wider audience. Not every child has a tablet and
more schools than not do not have access to today's technology. So just how
does the driving force behind Reading Rainbow intend to bring back the power of
reading to all families? Mr. Burton is on a quest develop a web-enabled Reading Rainbow for at-home use,
create a classroom version along with lesson plans and teacher-friendly tools,
and subsidize the cost so any school can use Reading Rainbow anywhere for free.
Burton has set out to raise a million dollars, and has offered up plenty of
prizes for donations that run the gamut from a LeVar himself recording your
voicemail, to hanging out with you via Skype to sending you an autograph. But
what matters most is this will help more kids learn how to read. And although a
million dollars sure sounds like a lot, in this day and age where actors are
asking for money for movies, regular folk are seeking funding to be the next
great reality television stars, and still others are asking the public though
Kickstarter to fund their dream vacation, finally without a doubt I can say
that this is indeed a Kickstarter cause that I can get behind and so should
every family in America. Read more about LeVar
Burton's Kickstarter campaign and then join in by ensuring that generations
to come will come to know what we already know “ Take a look, it’s in a book,
Reading Rainbow. I can be anything, take a look, it’s in a book, Reading
Rainbow.”
Gayle
is a lifelong educator by day and avid blogger by night and is the owner and
cofounder of the Disney Gals, one of the
most popular Disney blogs around! Proud mommy to 5, Grammy to 4 she is blessed
to share her life with amazing family and friends who encourage her to chase
her dreams no matter where they may lead. When not in the classroom, she
can be found following her son as he dances his way through life, or working
with young performers in free nationally recognized after school children’s
theater program that she founded 13 years ago. On any given day you will find
Gayle skipping her way through life with a giggle and a smile knowing that today is
meant to be lived and enjoyed. To learn more about Gayle, click here.
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