Labonte, Cheerios® Create a Storybook Finish for 2006 Racing Season, Raising 126,893 Books

By: Family News

Bobby Labonte, driver of the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge, ended the 2006 racing season by starting a whole new chapter on reading for kids across the country. That’s because for every lap Labonte completed in the last 10 races, Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories® and nonprofit partner First Book® are donating 43 books to disadvantaged children in a “Race for Books.” Labonte and the team’s performance in the last 10 races raised a grand total of 126,893 books that will be donated to kids, and helped call attention to the importance of reading and getting books to children.

The “Race for Books” kicked off September 17th at the New Hampshire International Speedway and wrapped up at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. In that time Labonte earned four top-10 finishes.

“We have had tremendous success this season with the Spoonfuls of Stories program and the ‘Race for Books’,” said Labonte. “Kids need to have books at home so they can learn to read, which is so important for their future. Spoonfuls of Stories, and the ‘Race for Books’ were very successful in getting the message out to as many people as possible. We all pulled together to earn as many books as we could. It just so happened that we had some of our best races at the end of the season. I’m very proud to be a part of a program like Spoonfuls of Stories.”

This is the fifth year of the Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories program, and in addition to the 43 books-per-lap that Labonte helped raise for children in need, Cheerios is also giving away over FIVE MILLION books free in boxes of Cheerios cereal, on shelves from fall 2006 through early spring 2007. Cheerios is also working with First Book to donate a year’s worth of books to each child participating in one of 50 selected reading programs across the country.

As of this fall, Cheerios, through the Spoonfuls of Stories program, will have donated more than $2 million to First Book (www.firstbook.org), and given more than 25 million books to children free inside boxes of Cheerios cereal. For more information on the Race for Books and Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories, see www.cheerios.com.

ABOUT CHEERIOS®

Cheerios, America’s No. 1 cereal, debuted in 1941 as Cheerioats. The nation’s first ready-to-eat oat cereal has since become one of the most trusted and recognized brands in America. In fact, one of every 10 boxes of cereal sold in America is a box of Cheerios. General Mills’ popular franchise includes Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Frosted Cheerios, Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, MultiGrain Cheerios, Berry Burst Cheerios, Yogurt Burst Cheerios and Fruity Cheerios. Cheerios also has a publishing division that includes the popular Cheerios Play Books and other activity books. For more information, go to www.cheerios.com.

ABOUT FIRST BOOK

First Book is an international nonprofit organization with a single mission: to give children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books. Through hundreds of local Advisory Boards, the First Book National Book Bank, and the First Book Marketplace, the organization provides an ongoing supply of new books to children participating in community-based mentoring, tutoring, and family literacy programs. First Book has provided brand new books to children in need in thousands of communities nationwide.

Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Frosted Cheerios, MultiGrain Cheerios, Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, Berry Burst Cheerios, Yogurt Burst Cheerios, Fruity Cheerios and Spoonfuls of Stories are trademarks of General Mills.