McDonald's® Provides $10,000 To Arizona PTA to Enhance School Library Collections

PHOENIX - March 30, 2010 - In celebration of School Library Month and as part of their commitment to promote children's literacy and motivate young readers, McDonald's Restaurants of Arizona and the Arizona Parent Teacher Association (PTA) announced they will award $10,000 to Arizona PTA school libraries as part of the "Readers Are Leaders® Award" program.

The grant program is awarding $1,000 grants to 10 Arizona PTA schools for the purchase of books and reading materials for school libraries to enhance book collections and excite students to read.

The 2010 Arizona Readers Are Leaders Award winners are:
Aguilar Elementary School (Tempe)
Copper Trails Elementary School (Goodyear)
Quail Run Elementary School (Phoenix)
Stetson Hills Elementary School (Phoenix)
Lakeview Elementary School (Phoenix)
Moon Mountain Elementary School (Phoenix)
Eagle Ridge Elementary School (Phoenix)
Surprise Elementary School (El Mirage)
Lincoln Elementary School (Prescott)
Blake Elementary School (Parker)

Applications for the Readers Are Leaders Awards were judged on creativity, ability to make good use of books, and solid strategy for long-term reading promotion activities.

"Arizona PTA believes that one of the most important things families and schools can do is to encourage children to love to reading," said Betty Garcia-Pendley, president of Arizona Parent Teacher Association. "Projects like McDonald's "Readers Are Leaders" provide the tools to develop this love for reading and thereby improve learning."

"We are proud to support literacy in our local schools," said Shane Thompson, president of McDonald's Owner/Operator Association of Phoenix and northern Arizona. "Our restaurants are committed to the communities we serve, and investing in education is a top priority."

For more information about Arizona PTA programs, projects, events, materials and opportunities for leadership training and parent education, visit the website, www.azpta.org.

McDonald's of Arizona includes more than 268 restaurants and is comprised of 50 local Owner/Operators which make up the Phoenix and Tucson Owner/Operator Associations in Arizona.