December 4, 2012
Greenloons Spearheads National Book Drive
Greenloons Spearheads National Book Drive to Benefit Reading Partners, an AmeriCorps Literacy Program
Vienna, VA, December 4, 2012 – Greenloons
https://www.greenloons.com, helping families source the green vacation of their dreams, announces a pay-it-forward international book drive to promote childhood literacy and ecological awareness.
The book drive, starting just in time for the Holidays, will center on the children’s book, The Singing Dolphin, a read-together book for children of all ages, which is the flagship of the evolving Carbon Busters Eco-Adventure series written by Laurel Colless. “The only thing my children love more than adventure stories is eco-adventure vacations,” says Colless, “and these are both ideal touch points for entertaining and educating our little ones on big concepts like travel footprints.”
Each copy purchased via the Greenloons website between now and Earth Day, April 22, 2013 with the promotion code “Greenloons” will result in a donation of an additional copy of the book to Reading Partners, an educational non-profit operating more than 100 volunteer-led reading centers in elementary schools across the United States. “This book drive will help us reach more children who struggle with reading,” says Reading Partners CEO Michael Lombardo. “Socially conscious and responsible businesses like Greenloons and Mascot Books are an integral part of the solutions to our most pressing challenges.”
A percentage of the book proceeds will be donated to non-profit organizations focused on long-term viable solutions for cleaning up the five major plastic and chemical garbage patches that have been created in the earth’s oceans. In addition, Greenloons will gift a copy of The Singing Dolphin to each client booking a Greenloons eco-adventure trip between now and Earth Day.
Laurel Colless adds, “Greenloons already provides sustainable family tourism packages that have high educational value while still being affordable and fun. I’m delighted to work with publisher Mascot Books to help bring my eco-adventure stories to young Greenloons travelers as well as to celebrate and support the work of a fast-growing volunteer tutor program like Reading Partners. Not only are children going to be inspired to keep reading, but parents will want to read all about this too.”
“Our children are already well versed about the ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ message. This educational and empowering book goes one step further by teaching children about responsibility, teamwork, and problem solving as they embark on an adventure and help solve environmental challenges. We are thrilled to be able to work with Laurel, Mascot Books and Reading Partners to deliver this important message about sustainability,” says Irene Lane, founder of Greenloons.
About The Author: Laurel Colless
Laurel Colless brings her literature and journalism background together with an international career in sustainable business and technology to produce the Carbon Busters Eco-Adventure series. Her stories promote humor and magic to entertain and educate children, while exposing them to the real life problems that the grown-up world is facing. The series is endorsed by celebrities Sam Waterston, Kaiulani Lee and Ben and Jerry’s co-founder, Jerry Greenfield.
Laurel is a founding member of the Steering Committee of the Women’s Conservation Forum at Conservation International and a member of the Board of Directors for the Institute of Sustainable Communities, an international organization that mentors communities toward a better quality of life while maintaining healthy ecosystems.
Contact: laurel.colless@gmail.com
About Mascot Books
Mascot Books, headquartered in Herndon, Virginia and founded in 2003, has published more than 400 high-quality children’s and adult titles of various genres, including fictional works, non-fiction, political, business, and inspirational works as well as cookbooks.
Contact: info@mascotbooks.com | Phone: (703) 437-3584
About Reading Partners
Reading Partners is a national literacy nonprofit that helps empower struggling readers across the country with the reading skills they need to reach their full potential. The organization recruits and trains community volunteers to provide one-on-one literacy tutoring to K-5 students from low-income communities in California, Colorado, Texas, New York, Washington D.C., and Maryland. During the 2012-13 school year, Reading Partners will serve at least 5,000 students from 104 schools across the country, with the support of approximately 8,000 community volunteers. With a structured, research-driven curriculum, the program has a strong track record of success: the average Reading Partners student more than doubles their rate of learning in reading to close the achievement gap found in low-income communities. Learn more at www.readingpartners.org
Media Contact: Joe Ventura / (510) 830-3035 / joe.ventura@readingpartners.org
About Greenloons
Greenloons is a premier online resource dedicated to inspiring people to think different, be different and travel different – in ways that help to ensure a more sustainable planet. An advocate of social empowerment, financial viability and environmental preservation, Greenloons connects mindful travelers with unique, meaningful and eco-certified travel experiences all over the world. See: https://www.greenloons.com
Contact: irene@greenloons.com | 703.752.6270
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For photos and/or more information on how Greenloons is making a difference please contact:
Sara Widness / 802-234-6704 / sara@widnesspr.com
Dave Wiggins / 303-554-8821 / dave@travelnewssource.com
Website and Portfolio of Past Releases: https://www.travelnewssource.com/
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Greenloons Company Contact:
Irene Lane / 703.752.6270 / irene@greenloons.com /https://www.greenloons.com/
