Bethlehem, PA – February 28, 2019 – On Wednesday, February 27, PBS39 and the PPL Foundation were proud to present a selection of children’s books to students at the Casa Guadalupe Center location of Lehigh Valley Children’s Centers (LVCC). Nearly 300 books were generously donated by community members who attended Elmo’s Birthday Party during the first weekend in February at PBS39.
“PBS39 is proud to partner with the PPL Foundation to continue the festivities in such a meaningful way,” Tim Fallon, Chief Executive Officer of PBS39 said. “Both PBS39 and PPL have made increasing childhood literacy a priority. We want to thank all of the members of the community who donated to this cause. I think the beloved Sesame Street character would be proud of the Lehigh Valley!”
These books were collected on behalf of the PPL Foundation’s Cover to Cover early literacy program. In addition to the collection given to Casa Guadalupe in Allentown, books were also distributed to other locations of Lehigh Valley Children’s Centers (LVCC).
“PPL is pleased to support PBS39 in celebration of Elmo’s birthday. We were delighted at the general public’s generosity in donating hundreds of books in Elmo’s honor,” Lissette Santana, Senior Manager of Corporate Relations for PPL said. “This book donation event ties in nicely with PPL’s Cover to Cover reading program whereby PPL employees and the PPL Foundation donate books to children in grades 1-3 in our 29-county service territory. Last year, nearly 29,000 new or gently used books were donated by employees and the PPL Foundation. Cover to Cover helps children who would otherwise miss out on reading and learning opportunities. We’re proud to put books into the hands of students at Casa and help to inspire their love of reading.”
PBS39’s vision is to create a community that is inspired, engaged and vibrant. Visit PBS39.org to learn more about PBS39’s initiatives, programming and future events.
About PBS39
PBS39 is a community-owned public media station licensed in Allentown to the Lehigh Valley Public Telecommunications Corporation, serving eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. PBS39 acts as the catalyst to promote civic engagement, and to fulfill the regional needs of the Greater Lehigh Valley through its dynamic communication platforms and resources. PBS39 Reporter Corps journalists are embedded in the ten counties that make up the Greater Lehigh Valley. The Reporter Corps creates community-focused content for PBS39 News Tonight and for the PBS39 digital platform. For more information, visit PBS39.org.
Information provided to TVL by:
Nicole Harrell
Public Relations/Promotions Manager, PBS39
