Kia Motors America and First Book to Distribute 40,000 Books to Southern California Educators
18-Wheeler Truck Packed with Brand-New Children’s Books Arrives in Ontario, Calif., to Serve Kids in Need
LOS ANGELES, October 16, 2015 /3BL Media/ – Kia Motors America (KMA), one of the fastest-growing car companies in the U.S., is bringing its “Books on Wheels” program to Southern California. Teaming up with nonprofit social enterprise First Book and CBS EcoMedia’s EducationAd program, Kia volunteers will distribute 40,000 books to area educators and teachers.
The books recently arrived on an 18-wheeler truck at a local warehouse space operated by national charity Feed The Children, one of First Book’s longtime partners. Today, volunteers from CBS, Kia and First Book will help transform the warehouse space into an exclusive shopping area full of brand-new, high-quality books for greater Los Angeles-area students. On Saturday, Oct. 17, hundreds of local teachers and educators will have an opportunity to select books for their students at a book fair-style event.
Having books to read – at home and in the classroom – is the number one predictor of reading success. Yet, in some of the lowest-income communities in this country, there is only one book for every 300 children. The nonprofit social enterprise First Book’s “Books on Wheels” program will deliver a huge influx of educational resources to make a significant impact in the lives of children from low-income families across the greater Los Angeles area, thanks to Kia’s support.
“Kia’s support of First Book is a continuation of our commitment to youth empowerment and education,” said Phil Kelley, Executive Director, Western Region, KMA. “We are proud to support educators and students across Southern California with 40,000 books in the communities we call home.”
“Fostering a lifelong love of reading in children requires a plentiful supply of high-quality, engaging books,” said Kyle Zimmer, President and CEO of First Book. “By putting these critical educational resources into the hands of local children, Kia and CBS EcoMedia are improving lives today and investing in the future of their community.”
“The simple act of reading can open a child’s eyes to the world’s limitless possibilities,” said Paul Polizzotto, President and Founder of CBS EcoMedia. “For children who don’t have access to books, it’s difficult to dream. Now, thanks to Kia and First Book, classroom libraries in underserved schools across Southern California will burst with new books to inspire and educate young readers. Getting books and other critical educational resources to kids; that’s the goal of our EducationAd Program.”
About Kia Motors America
Kia Motors America (KMA) is the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA proudly serves as the “Official Automotive Partner” of the NBA and LPGA and set an all-time annual sales record in 2014, surpassing the 500,000 unit mark for the third consecutive year. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles, including the rear-drive K900 flagship sedan[1], Cadenza premium sedan, Sorento CUV, Soul urban passenger vehicle, Soul Electric Vehicle[2], Sportage compact CUV, Optima midsize sedan, Optima Hybrid, the Forte compact sedan, Forte5 and Forte Koup, Rio and Rio 5-door subcompacts and the Sedona midsize multi-purpose vehicle, through a network of more than 765 dealers across the United States. Kia’s U.S. manufacturing plant in West Point, Georgia, builds the Optima* and Sorento* and is responsible for the creation of more than 15,000 plant and supplier jobs.
Information about KMA and its full vehicle line-up is available at www.kia.com. For media information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com. To receive custom email notifications for press releases the moment they are published, subscribe at www.kiamedia.com/us/en/newsalert.
About First Book
First Book is a nonprofit social enterprise that has distributed more than 130 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 elevating the quality of education. For more information, please visit them online or follow their latest news on Facebook and Twitter.
About Feed the Children
Feed the Children believes that they can create a world where no child goes to bed hungry. Since 1979, Feed the Children has grown into one of the largest U.S.-based charities. They are accredited by GuideStar Exchange and the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, maintain a 3-star rating from Charity Navigator, and are also a member of InterAction. Through their network agencies, Feed the Children distributed over $344 million in food, other necessities, educational supplies, and medicine, impacting close to 9 million individuals in the U.S. and over 4.9 million individuals globally in fiscal year 2014.
Visit http://www.feedthechildren.org for more information.
About CBS EcoMedia Inc.
EcoMedia was founded in 2002 by social entrepreneur Paul Polizzotto. The company's mission is to harness the power of the advertising dollar to make tangible, quality of life improvements in communities nationwide. In 2010, after successfully partnering on a wide range of environmental projects, EcoMedia was acquired by CBS Corporation, exponentially scaling its reach across television, radio, interactive, and publishing media.
Through EcoMedia's patent-pending EcoAd, as well as EducationAd, WellnessAd, Viewers to Volunteers and Volunteering with the Stars advertising programs, national brands and local businesses provide millions of dollars in financial support to some of the nation's most effective nonprofit organizations, funding critical veterans’, education, health and wellness, and environmental projects nationwide.
EcoMedia's innovative and proprietary business model has fundamentally altered the advertising and nonprofit landscapes, elevating the ordinary, traditional commercial – and media, in general – into a catalyst for tangible, quantifiable social change.
EcoMedia has earned numerous awards and recognitions for its work, including the U.S. Conference of Mayors Award for Excellence in Public Private Partnerships (2009), Edison Awards for Social Innovation and Social Impact (2012, 2013), and the Starlight Children's Foundation's “General H. Norman Schwarzkopf Leadership Award,” which honors individual and organizational leaders who are doing extraordinary work to advance the common good and strengthen their communities.
Please visit ecomediacbs.com, like us at Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.
By participating in EcoMedia's EcoAd, WellnessAd, EducationAd, and Viewers to Volunteers advertising programs, EcoMedia's advertisers agree to provide funding for projects we believe will have a beneficial effect upon the environment, health and/or education within local communities. EcoMedia's advertising programs are not certification programs nor are the EcoAd, WellnessAd or EducationAd logos seals of approval. EcoMedia does not in any way certify, endorse or make any representations about EcoMedia program advertisers, their products or services.
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Press Contacts:
Theresa Schieber
CBS EcoMedia
Theresa.schieber@ecomediacbs.com
212-975-3471
Scott McKee
Kia Motors America
949-468-4813
Julia Hornaday
First Book
202-639-0114
* The Sorento and Optima GDI (EX, SX & Limited and certain LX Trims only) are assembled in the United States from U.S. and globally sourced parts.
[1] K900 V8 available in select trims and in select markets with limited availability.
[2] Soul EV in select markets with limited availability
