Odyssey Network Teams with Laubach Literacy to Promote Volunteering

ProLiteracy Worldwide
Thursday, 24 May 2001

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, May 24, 2001 — Odyssey Network and Laubach Literacy are teaming up for 'Today's Family First,' a national promotion focusing on literacy and family involvement from June 8-30, 2001. The highlight of the month-long promotion will be the world network premiere of an Odyssey original production, The Prince and the Pauper, airing June 22 at 9 p.m. (ET/PT).

Odyssey's campaign will also feature public service announcements on family literacy starring actor Luke Perry. "Literacy is a universal issue and one that we support through our 'Today's Family First' initiative," said Margaret Loesch, President and CEO, Crown Media United States which operates Hallmark Channel U.S. "By working with our affiliates across the U.S. we hope to encourage community volunteerism and inform people about how they can improve their lives through learning."

"We are pleased that Odyssey is raising awareness about literacy and is encouraging viewers to volunteer," says Peter Waite, Executive Director of Laubach Literacy Action, Laubach Literacy's domestic division. "Recruiting volunteers is one of the most critical challenges facing adult volunteer literacy organizations today." Odyssey and Laubach will offer consumers a complimentary literacy package that includes a collector's edition of The Prince and the Pauper from Hallmark Gift Books along with information on the national adult literacy challenge and the ways viewers can make a difference. Laubach Literacy's toll free number (888-LAUBACH) and Website (www.laubach.org) will be shown during the PSA and will link interested volunteers to a nationwide database of Laubach Literacy Action (LLA) and Literacy Volunteers of America (LVA) member organizations.

During the month-long promotion, Odyssey will showcase select movies and programs and will feature special events including screenings of the The Prince and the Pauper in four cities—Baton Rouge, LA (June 14); Tampa, FL (June 19); Long Beach, CA (June 19); and, Indianapolis, (June 20). Odyssey and Laubach have invited representatives from local literacy organizations in each of these cities to participate in the program.

Odyssey Network, scheduled to become the Hallmark Channel on August 5, is a 24-hour television network that provides high-quality, broad-appeal entertainment programming to a national audience of nearly 31 million subscribers. For more information on Odyssey Network and its programming, visit www.OdysseyChannel.com.

Founded in 1955 by literacy pioneer Dr. Frank C. Laubach, Laubach Literacy International has 1,100 member programs throughout the United States and 70 partner programs in 39 developing countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. Its U.S. publishing division, New Readers' Press, produces and distributes 500 titles of adult educational materials to 46,000 literacy organizations, schools, libraries and other institutions across the country. For more information, please visit Laubach Literacy's Web sites www.laubach.org, www.womeninliteracy.org, www.newreaderspress.com, www.nbsf.org.

For more information, or to contact ProLiteracy Worldwide, see their website at: www.proliteracy.org