In less than 24 hours since it was launched, the campaign to bring back the children's show for a new generation has raised more than $1.5 million.
- May 29, 2014
AceShowbiz - LeVar Burton's attempt to reboot "Reading Rainbow" has received a lot of support. The actor, who hosted the children's show, launched a Kickstarter campaign on Wednesday, May 28, asking fans to help raise $1 million by July 2 to fund the project. In less than 24 hours, the campaign has garnered more than $1.5 million.
Burton's vision for the new version of "Reading Rainbow" is to make it available to any children via Internet. He also plans to create a specialized classroom version and deliver it for free to schools in need.
"Join me on my mission, to bring 'Reading Rainbow' back for every child, everywhere. Together, we can change the lives of millions of children," so the Geordi La Forge of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" wrote on the Kickstarter page.
"I believe that every child has a right, and a need, to be literate. We have a responsibility to prepare our children ... and right now, the numbers show that we, as a society, are failing in that responsibility," he added. "Right now, 1 out of every 4 children in America will grow up illiterate."
"Through 'Reading Rainbow', we've been working to solve these problems for over three decades. Starting in 1983, 'Reading Rainbow' successfully used television to turn generations of kids into lifelong readers... with great results."
The children's series aired on PBS until 2006. The show won 26 Emmy Awards during its run. In 2012, Burton launched the "Reading Rainbow" App for tablets.
