Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - September 22, 1999
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Locke unveils PSA, urges businesses and individuals to "get involved" in the Washington Reading Corps

OLYMPIA - Gov. Gary Locke today unveiled a public service announcement (PSA) at the statewide Washington Reading Corps conference in Seattle. The PSA, which features Locke and Mariners star shortstop Alex Rodriguez, urges businesses and citizens to "get involved" and "help hit a home run for kids" by helping children learn to read (see attached script).

Locke is kicking off a statewide tour today to raise awareness for the Reading Corps and encourage citizen involvement. On Thursday, he will also show the PSA at events in Yakima and Spokane, and on Friday he will show it in the Tri-Cities.

"Now, we need people to step up to the plate and get involved," Locke said. "In schools with Reading Corps programs, we saw an average increase of 11% in students who meet our rigorous 4th grade reading standard, as compared to a statewide average of 6%. The proof is there - now we need help from businesses, community groups, and organizations to continue the Reading Corps success story."

Today's conference, which was made possible through a generous donation from Capital One Financial Corporation, brought together businesses, community partners and more than 400 members of the Reading Corps from all over Washington to discuss successes and ways to improve the program.

"Capital One is dedicated to making a measurable difference in the communities in which we operate," said Marge Connelly, senior vice president of Capital One. "We have partnered with the Washington Reading Corps because they are dedicated to insuring that Washington's children will master the reading skills necessary to make dreams become a reality. We challenge other Washington businesses to get involved in this worthwhile program."

U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley, Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson, Carol Santa of the International Reading Association, and Dr. William Trueheart of Reading is Fundamental (RIF) also spoke at the conference.

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