Canwest Raise-A-Reader Day: Wednesday, September 23

Improving literacy for just the price of a newspaper

• Press Release
• Source: Canwest Global Communications Corp.
• On 2:15 pm EDT, Tuesday September 22, 2009

WINNIPEG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tomorrow morning, thousands of volunteers will flood Canadian street corners, bus stops and coffee shops in support of Canwest Raise-a-Reader Day, raising money for local literacy programs and increasing awareness about the importance of encouraging family literacy.

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In 27 cities from coast-to-coast Canadians are asked to give generously in support of this meaningful initiative. Since its inception in 2002, Raise-a-Reader has generated over $13 million dollars in support of family literacy programs. Canwest, Global Television and the participating newspapers provide the time and resources to fulfill the national campaign – meaning every dollar donated on Raise-a-Reader Day will be used to support literacy beneficiaries in the communities where the funds are raised.

“Canwest Raise-a-Reader has proven an enormously successful campaign not only by raising money for literacy programs, but also by educating Canadians about literacy issues in their communities,” said Leonard Asper, President and CEO of Canwest Global Communications Corp. “Improving our national literacy levels has a positive impact on the Canadian economy and on the job prospects and well-being of our citizens.”

In addition to funds raised on Raise-a-Reader Day, the Canwest Raise-a-Reader Concert Series sets the stage for year-round awareness as participating artists donate a portion of proceeds from ticket sales on their Canadian tours. Financial support also comes from the new presenting sponsor of the Concert Series, Country Inns & Suites By Carlson.

The latest musical artist to support to the Raise-a-Reader Concert Series by donating partial proceeds of her concert ticket sales is Calgary singer/songwriter sensation Jann Arden. In November, Arden will begin a 30-plus concert tour to promote her latest album, Free.

The Concert Series was launched in 2007, when international singing sensation Michael Bublé announced his involvement as the first performer to lend his voice to the literacy cause. The series has a growing set-list of participating artists that includes Anne Murray, James Taylor, Bob Dylan, Sam Roberts, Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings and now, Jann Arden.

Canwest Raise-a-Reader receives additional funding from national sponsors Country Inns & Suites By Carlson and 7-Eleven Canada Inc. Numerous local sponsors in markets across the country also contribute to the program with funding and goods-in-kind services.

About Canwest Global Communications Corp.

Canwest Global Communications Corp. (www.canwest.com), (TSX: CGS and CGS.A,) an international media company, is Canada’s largest media company. In addition to owning the Global Television Network, Canwest is Canada’s largest publisher of English language paid daily newspapers and owns, operates and/or holds substantial interests in conventional television, out-of-home advertising, specialty cable channels, and web sites in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The following newspapers, in 26* communities from coast-to-coast, will be taking part in Canwest Raise-a-Reader Day on Wednesday, September 23rd:

* Ottawa held its Raise-a-Reader Day on Wed., September 16

Background

• Canwest Raise-a-Reader (RAR) is an award-winning national program designed to increase awareness and collect funds/resources to support family literacy programs. All of the money raised through Raise-a-Reader is donated to local literacy and educational organizations and stays in the community where it is collected.
• The campaign is a year-round initiative with important fundraising events taking place throughout the year in 27 cities across Canada, highlighted by an annual fundraising event in the early Fall: Canwest Raise-a-Reader Day which happens on Wednesday, September 23* this year.
• Thousands of volunteers, including sports and entertainment personalities, newspaper and television employees, sponsors and beneficiaries take to the city streets and high-traffic locations to exchange special-edition newspapers for donations to the Raise-a-Reader cause.
• Since its national launch in 2002, the Canwest Raise-a-Reader campaign has raised over $13 million for family literacy programs across Canada. The program was initiated by The Vancouver Sun and originally ran as an isolated fundraiser in British Columbia. Today, the campaign is TRULY national – with representation by newspapers in all ten (10) provinces and the celebration of RAR Day in cities from Ucluelet, BC to St. John’s, NL.
• Nearly all of the newspaper partners also support Canwest Canspell, a national grassroots initiative designed to celebrate and reward literacy skills by encouraging academic excellence and positive study habits through school-level, regional and national spelling bees across the country.
• Raise-A-Reader and Canwest Canspell are complementary literacy programs: RAR engages and fosters reading for children in their formative pre-school and early-school years, while Canspell takes the power of words and literacy a step further by rewarding academic achievement for youth in Grades 4-8. Both programs focus on families and children and encourage reading skills.
• Funds raised to support literacy initiatives in each participating market for the Raise-a-Reader program come from several sources including national and local sponsorships, ongoing fundraising such as coin-box retail placement, book drives, the new Raise-a-Reader Concert Series and other local events and campaigns, and of course the one-day exchange of special-edition newspapers for donations on RAR Day.
• Generous support for RAR nationally includes: Country Inns & Suites By Carlson and 7-Eleven Canada Inc. Numerous local sponsors in every market enhance the program with funding and goods-in-kind services.
• Country Inns & Suites By Carlson is also presenting sponsor of the incredibly successful Canwest Raise-a-Reader Concert Series. The Concert Series launched in 2007, with Canadian music superstar, Michael Bublé. Bublé’s Concert Series dates sold out across the country in record time, with partial ticket proceeds donated to the Raise-a-Reader fundraising program. Since then, Grammy award-winning songstress Anne Murray, popular Canadian rocker Sam Roberts, musical legends James Taylor and Bob Dylan and Canadian rock royalty Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings have followed Bublé’s lead, donating partial ticket sales of their concert tours through the Canwest Raise-a-Reader Concert Series. Calgary singer and songwriting sensation Jann Arden has just announced her support of the Concert Series, with her upcoming 30-plus city tour promoting her latest album, Free. The series is produced by Live Nation, the largest concert promoter in the world.

Canwest Global Communications Corp.
April Andreosso, Director, Community & Public Relations, 204-953-7717
aandreosso@canwest.com