Ft. Lauderdale Selected For Soar With Reading Program!

In 2011 Jet Blue launched Soar With Reading to encourage kids’ imaginations to take flight through reading and get books into the hands of kids who need them.  Jet Blue and their partners have donated $2,750,000 worth of books by placing free book vending machines in Detroit and Washington D.C.

In 2014, a study was done by child literary expert Dr. Susan Neuman and the results were appalling. In underserved communities, there is access to only one age-appropriate book for every 300 children. But not only is the Soar With Reading initiative interested in getting children access to more books, they want to provide books to these children to keep forever, building their own personal libraries. They also want to encourage the “power of choice.” So in 2014, beginning with Anacostia (a neighborhood in downtown Washington, D.C.), Jet Blue placed four vending machines supplied with 100,000 Random House Children’s Books centrally located in high traffic areas. Children were allowed to select a title from the vending machine and it dispenses to them a book that they can keep and add to their home library.

Cities are selected based on “book battles”.  A competition among cities where Jet Blue flies, the city with the most votes wins. In 2017, with the help of BGC staff, members and families, Fort Lauderdale won the #bookbattle receiving 100,000 books which will are being distributed throughout the summer from 4 vending machines around the community and close to several Clubs. The books are for readers of all ages, free and unlimited to anyone. 

Nan Knox Club members attended the program launch at Joseph Carter Park where they, not only, received books but Jet Blue backpacks and other goodies.  Thank you to BGCBC Board Member Swati Dholakia for inviting our members to this unique opportunity!