McDonald’s restaurants to giveaway 20,000 children’s books on April 30
Phoenix and northern Arizona McDonald’s restaurants and Southwest Human Development are hosting Día de los Niños on Saturday, April 30, to raise awareness about early literacy.
Beginning at 11 a.m., Saturday, April 30, the first 100 parents to visit their local restaurant will receive a 2016 Happy Meal book & FREE Vanilla Cone or Apple Slices, while supplies last. The free book and cone offer excludes Wal-mart McDonald’s locations. A total of 20,000 books and cones will be given away to families at Phoenix and northern Arizona McDonald’s restaurants. Four Harper Collins children’s books from the 2016 Happy Meal Book program will be distributed: Pete the Cat, Paddington, Clark the Shark, and Happy Valentine’s Day, Mouse!
On April 30th, 20 cents from every Happy Meal sold at Phoenix and northern Arizona McDonald’s restaurants, excluding Wal-mart locations, will be donated to Southwest Human Development’s First Edition: A Book for Babies and Toddlers Too! Project, to help fund early literacy programs that prepare young children for school.
Southwest Human Development, Arizona’s largest nonprofit dedicated to early childhood development, created Books for Babies … and Toddlers, Too!, a comprehensive early literacy social venture that incorporates crowdfunding, a children’s book writing contest, and essentially turns the nonprofit into its own children’s book publisher. For every book purchased, Southwest Human Development will provide an additional book to a child in need. The initiative also helps fund high-quality early literacy programs throughout the Valley that support parents to ensure their children are ready to learn when they begin kindergarten.
“Our First Edition project goes beyond just putting more books in the hands of children,” said Jake Adams, chief development officer of Southwest Human Development. “The revenue generated from this initiative funds our early literacy programs that provide families with the tools and resources they need to ensure healthy learning experiences for their young children.
There’s only one book for every 300 kids in low-income neighborhoods, and we’re looking to change that,” he explained. “We are thrilled McDonald’s is raising awareness of the importance of early reading with this event and able to help meet a critical need for many Arizona families.”
“This event is part of our ongoing strategy to enrich the lives of families across Arizona, and with the support of Southwest Human Development, inspire more family reading time,” said Michelle Slayton, president of Phoenix and northern Arizona Owner/Operator Association. “We’re excited to help raise funds for Southwest Human Development to help young children prepare for and enter school ready to learn. Supporting education and literacy is a priority for McDonald’s local owner/operators in Phoenix and northern Arizona.”
For questions about the Books for Babies … and Toddlers, Too! Project, please call (602) 808-GIVE (4483) or visit www.firsteditionproject.com. Learn more about additional Southwest Human Development early childhood programs at www.swhd.org.
About Southwest Human Development
Southwest Human Development is Arizona’s largest nonprofit dedicated to early childhood development. Recognizing a child’s earliest experiences and relationships establish the foundation for all future development, Southwest Human Development’s more than 40 comprehensive programs focus on young children – ages birth to 5 – and their families in the areas of child development and mental health, Easter Seals disabilities services, early literacy and Head Start, child welfare and professional education. Founded in 1981, Southwest Human Development serves 135,000 children and families each year. Learn more at www.swhd.org.
About McDonald’s of Arizona
Our 300 Arizona McDonald’s restaurants employ more than 15,000* people. We make good food that is served fast, with a focus on responsible sourcing. Our McDonald’s supply chain includes suppliers of all sizes including family-owned farms and ranches in Arizona. In 2014, McDonald’s spent more than $49.7 million on locally sourced food, purchasing 28.9 million pounds of lettuce, 8.2 million pounds of flour and 16.6 million pounds of beef.
*McDonald’s and McDonald’s independently owned and operated franchisees are equal opportunity employers committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce. McDonald’s and each of McDonald’s independently owned and operated franchisees are the exclusive employer of their employees and as such are solely responsible for all employment related matters in their restaurants.
About McDonald’s
McDonald’s USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to more than 27 million customers every day. Nearly 90 percent of McDonald’s 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by businessmen and women. Customers can now log online for free at approximately 11,500 participating Wi-Fi enabled McDonald’s U.S. restaurants. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.