Indigo Love of Reading Foundation raises more than 81,000 books to replenish over 500 elementary school libraries across Canada

TORONTO, Nov. 1, 2016 /CNW/ - The Indigo Love of Reading Foundation is pleased to announce the results of its national Adopt a School grassroots fundraiser. The annual program ran September 18^th through October 9^th uniting Indigo employees, customers and communities in raising funds for local high-needs elementary school libraries. This year the program put more than 81,000 books into over 500 Canadian elementary schools.

"Our aim at the Foundation is to put libraries back at the heart of schools, one book at a time," said Ariel Siller, Executive Director of the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation. "We are in awe of the passion and dedication that our stores and communities have shown during this year's Adopt a School program. As a direct result of the generous support and commitment to literacy of so many Canadians, we're thrilled to be able to put more than 81,000 books onto school library shelves across the country. Together, we have made a real difference in these schools, and in turn, these children's lives."

During the three week campaign, participating Indigo, Chapters, and Coles stores across the country "adopted" a local high-needs elementary school to fundraise in-store on its behalf during the campaign period. All adopted schools, as well as 300 additional high-needs elementary schools, also had access to the online fundraising platform, adoptaschool.indigo.ca, to amplify their fundraising efforts. Every dollar raised goes directly to these schools and they will receive a 30% discount off books at Indigo, Chapters and Coles to further the impact of their donations.

Since the inception of the program, the annual Adopt a School campaign has raised over $4.5 million to support more than 2500 Canadian high-needs elementary schools. The program has helped replenish school libraries in every Canadian province and territory, and has impacted the lives of more than 800,000 students, putting more than 400,000 books into the hands of children across the country.

To learn more about the Foundation, please visit loveofreading.org

About the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation
Indigo Books & Music Inc. founded the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation in 2004 to address the underfunding of public elementary school libraries. To date, the Foundation has committed over $24 million to more than 3,000 schools through its signature programs. Each year the Foundation grants $1.5 million to 25 high-needs elementary schools so they can transform their libraries with the purchase of new books and educational resources. To date, the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation's Literacy Fund has committed $18 million to more than 215 schools nationally. The Foundation's annual grassroots Adopt a School program unites the Foundation with Indigo employees, its customers and their communities to raise funds to support high-needs elementary schools across Canada and put even more books into the hands of children. Over the past seven years, the program has raised over $4.5 million to support school libraries, so 800,000 children have a book to call their own. To learn more about the Foundation, visit www.loveofreading.org

SOURCE Indigo Books & Music Inc.

For media requests, images and additional information please contact: Indigo Books & Music Inc.: Kate Gregory, [email protected]; MSLGROUP Canada: Marni Zaretsky, [email protected]