The Indigo Love of Reading Foundation provides $1.1 million for books to over 600 Canadian schools

Annual grassroots Adopt a School fundraiser unites Indigo stores and local communities to raise funds for high-needs elementary school libraries

TORONTO, Nov. 1, 2018 /CNW/ - The Indigo Love of Reading Foundation is thrilled to announce the results of its 2018 Adopt a School program, providing $1.1 million for books to over 600 high-needs elementary school libraries across Canada. Running from September 15 to October 7, Indigo, Chapters and Coles employees, high-needs elementary schools and their communities joined forces to raise funds for their local school libraries, impacting the lives of over 200,000 Canadian children.

"We are blown away by the tremendous dedication to childhood literacy that we saw throughout the 2018 Adopt a School program," said Ariel Siller, Executive Director of the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation. "This year, Indigo stores, over 600 schools and supporters nationwide came together to ensure that books are at the heart of literacy education in Canada. Thanks to everyone's support, over 200,000 Canadian children at high-needs elementary schools will have access to new and compelling materials that will inspire them to fall in love with reading and become engaged learners."

The Indigo Adopt a School program is an annual fundraising campaign that takes place each fall. During the program, the Foundation offers a free online fundraising platform for participating high-needs elementary schools where supporters can donate directly to a participating Canadian high-needs school of their choice. A select number of schools were also adopted by an Indigo, Chapters or Coles store and received all the donations made at that store during the program. Schools receive 100% of the funds raised on their behalf during the campaign and were also eligible for a donation match of up to $1,200 from the Foundation as well as a 30% discount on books at Indigo, Chapters and Coles stores when using program funds.

The online platform also provided opportunities to support a local school through the 'Tell a Story, Give a Story' Contest. Supporters submitted stories about literacy to adoptaschool.indigo.ca to gain additional funds for their school of choice, with no donation required. In addition, fans could "heart" their favourite story. The top five most "hearted" stories from five different schools in each province were entered into a random draw to win an additional $2,500 Indigo e-gift card. The remaining four top "hearted" schools in each province will also receive a $500 Indigo e-gift card.

Since its inception, the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation has committed over $29 million for books at 3,000 school libraries across Canada, impacting more than 900,000 Canadian children.

The winners of the 2018 Adopt a School 'Tell a Story, Give a Story' Contest are:

British Columbia: Westview Elementary School – Grand Prize Winner Ellendale Elementary John Stubbs Memorial School Margaret Ma Murray Community School Pearson Road Elementary	Alberta: Hardisty School – Grand Prize Winner Balwin School David Thompson School Fultonvale Elementary Junior High School Weinlos School	Saskatchewan: Redvers School – Grand Prize Winner Christopher Lake Public School Hillmond Central School Muenster School OM Irwin School
Manitoba: Clifton School – Grand Prize Winner Daerwood School Frontenac School J.R. Reid School Walter Whyte School	Ontario: Brant Avenue Public School – Grand Prize Winner Courtland Ave. Sr. Public School St Bernadette Catholic Elementary School St. Martin De Porres School Wellington Public School	Quebec: Hampstead School – Grand Prize Winner Allion Elementary Association D'Enfants Scolarisés À La Maison École Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary School St Mary's Elementary
Nova Scotia: Dutch Settlement Elementary School – Grand Prize Winner Basinview Drive Community School Carleton Consolidated Elementary School Coxheath Elementary Truro Junior High School	New Brunswick: Keswick Valley Memorial School – Grand Prize Winner Back Bay Elementary School Chris Saunders Memorial Elementary School Northrop Frye School Westfield School	Prince Edward Island: West Kent Elementary School – Grand Prize Winner Birchwood Intermediate Hernewood Intermediate School Parkside Elementary School Queen Charlotte Intermediate School
Newfoundland and Labrador: Fatima Academy – Grand Prize Winner Lourdes Elementary St. Edward's School William Gillett Academy Botwood Collegiate	Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon*: Harry Camsell School – Grand Prize Winner Jack Hulland Elementary School Lutsel K'e Dene School Princess Alexandra School

*The number of winners is reflective of the total number of entries

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 $29 million to more than 3,000 high-needs schools, impacting over 900,000 children. The Foundation runs two signature programs each year. In May 2018, the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation Literacy Fund grants committed $1.5 million to 30 high-needs elementary schools that lack the resources to build and maintain healthy school libraries. To date, the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation's Literacy Fund has committed $21 million to more than 275 schools nationally. Additionally, each fall, the Foundation's annual grassroots Adopt a School program unites the Foundation with Indigo, its 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. In October 2018, the Indigo Adopt a School program contributed $1.1 million to more than 600 schools across Canada, impacting over 200,000 children. To learn more about the Foundation, visit www.loveofreading.org.

SOURCE Indigo Love of Reading Foundation

For media requests please contact: Marni Zaretsky, Account Manager, MSL, [email protected]; Kate Gregory, Senior PR Manager, Indigo, [email protected]