Calling out to all Big Bird's Book Buddies!

Mangilao, Guam (September 19, 2002)-KGTF and its Ready To Learn service announce the 10th Annual Big Bird's Buddies Family Read-a-thon to be held October 13 - 26, 2002, open to all children in elementary schools and younger.

Guam Public Television KGTF combines its lineup of Ready To Learn children's programs with the annual Big Bird's Buddies Family Read-a-thon to encourage children and their parents to become actively involved with the many themes and activities each show provides with books and reading. The many exceptional and award-winning shows like Reading Rainbow, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Between the Lions, Sesame Street, Arthur and others model critical learning skills that will help children enter school ready to learn. Thus, encouraging the emerging or fluent literacy of young children, from as early as the tender newborn age, is one important role in this process, which we believe begins in the home.

A non-profit organization, KGTF's family read-a-thon is the station's major annual fundraiser, which helps support the station's operational needs, and includes the securing of quality PBS programs for all viewers, young and old, from every corner of the island. Programs on public television are not just commercial-free, but free to every household on the island, entertaining, educating and enriching the lives of many.

Read-a-thon packets will be distributed during the first week of October to all participating day care centers, pre-schools, Head Start and elementary schools. Parents of home-schoolers or children under 4 years old may also join by registering their children at the KGTF office in Mangilao. Call Sonia Suobiron or Mary Perez at 734-2207, -3476, or -5788 for more information.