Macy's partners with Reading Is Fundamental to present 'Macy's Educator Appreciation Award' to local long-standing programming volunteer at Phoenix's Bernard Black Elementary, in celebration of August campaign.

Throughout August, Macy’s customers and colleagues nationwide can round-up in-store purchases to benefit Reading Is Fundamental and its commitment to children’s literacy

Additionally, three exemplary educators will be recognized with a special award, books and classroom supplies, courtesy of Macy’s

New York/Washington, DC – August 3, 2021– In support of students and teachers heading back to school, Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) and Macy’s today announced a new campaign to promote student literacy across the country through in-store round-up and online donations, in addition to special recognition for stand-out educators.

For nearly twenty years and with more than $43 million contributed to its mission, Reading Is Fundamental, the nation’s preeminent literacy organization, has partnered with Macy’s to help foster a love of reading and learning by providing students with the fundamental building blocks for success. This year, throughout the month of August, Macy’s will offer customers nationwide the opportunity to round-up their in-store purchases to the nearest dollar (up to $0.99) or donate online at macys.com to help provide books and additional reading resources to children across the country.

Funds raised through Macy’s round-up campaign will continue to support RIF’s Race, Equity and Inclusion work providing books and reading resources to underserved communities and offering a breadth of diverse books to children nationwide to support empathy and understanding. Additionally, Macy’s will support RIF’s newest reading initiative, Rally to Read 100, launching in September.

Macy’s Educator Appreciation Awards will recognize three notable educators who have shown excellence in supporting their students’ literacy and learning, and have demonstrated meaningful impact implementing RIF programmatic efforts through Macy’s past funding. To celebrate the deserving educators below, Macy’s will provide a gift card and in-store styling session, customized school supplies (based on classroom needs), new books for their classroom library and RIF Literacy Kits for their students, created and delivered by Macy’s colleagues.

   ● Linda Bullock, third grade teacher at Ayden Elementary, Ayden, NC
   ● Shari Mauney Burkholder, programming volunteer at Bernard Black Elementary, Phoenix, AZ
   ● Becky Zalesnik, Executive Director of Innovative Programs at Sheldon ISD, Houston, TX

“This year, back to school will be more challenging than ever with millions of children returning to classrooms for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Alicia Levi, President and CEO of Reading Is Fundamental. “With an incredible partner like Macy’s who believes so strongly in supporting reading in classrooms nationwide, Reading Is Fundamental can make incredible strides in providing meaningful, diverse books and reading resources to children, educators and families, especially in the most under-resourced communities.”

Giving back is a core pillar of Macy’s values and the longstanding partnership with RIF has resulted in a total contribution of more than $43 million toward children’s literacy. Macy’s funds have supported the distribution of more than 14 million books, as well as the creation of multi-cultural book collections, local literacy events, the development of digital platforms and the creation of more than 10,000 supplemental literacy resources and tools.

“At a time when there is so much need across the country as children are getting back on track this fall, we are proud to continue our longstanding partnership with Reading Is Fundamental and support student learning,” said Sam Di Scipio, Sr. Director, Corporate Communications, Giving & Volunteerism at Macy’s. “Through this campaign, we hope to further the work of RIF’s Race, Equity and Inclusion program to provide every child with the tools they need to read at or above their grade level. We share RIF’s belief that every child deserves to read.”

To learn more, please visit macys.com/macysgives.

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About Macy's:
For more than 160 years, Macy’s, the largest retail brand of Macy’s, Inc., has served generations at every stage of their lives. Through a digitally led shopping experience powered by macys.com, our award-winning mobile app, and a nationwide portfolio of stores, Macy’s customers come to us for fashion, value and high-quality products. We are proud of our heritage and the unique role we play in American culture and tradition. We celebrate occasions big and small, and have created decades of memorable experiences through Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks® and Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®, as well as spectacular fashion shows, culinary events, flower shows, and celebrity appearances. With the collective support of our customers and colleagues, Macy’s helps make a difference in every market we serve, supporting local and national charities through funding and volunteer service. With fashion, value and celebration as our guide, Macy’s makes life shine brighter for our customers, colleagues and communities. For more information, please visit macysinc.com.

About Reading Is Fundamental:
Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is committed to a literate America by inspiring a passion for reading among all children, providing quality content to create impact, and engaging communities in the solution to give every child the fundamentals for success. As the nation’s largest nonprofit organization for children’s literacy, RIF has provided more than 420 million books to over 100 million kids in all 50 states, inspiring generations to read, learn and grow. For more information, please visit RIF.org.

Contact:
Liz Stein liz@lizsteinconsulting.com or Dara Klatt at Dara@8thStPR.com