The number of books in a home is the single strongest indicator of a child's future reading ability setting him or her on a track for success in school and in life. However, most children in low income communities have few, if any, age appropriate books in their homes.

By creating or donating to a book drive team, you are putting books directly into the hands of children who need them most.

There are three ways to give Corduroy to children online:

• Create an Online Book Drive of your friends, family or co-workers and ask each member to reach out to their network to contribute to your team fundraising goal.
• Join a Friend's Online Book Drive and donate books to help them reach their goal.
• Donate Books Online to the general Jumpstart book drive to help us reach our overall goal.

Would you prefer to fundraise the old fashioned way and skip the online tools?  If so, you can print out a customizable flyer and donation form to ask people to donate to your book drive.

Participate for a chance to win a stay in Boston!

Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, the Boston Bruins, and Jumpstart would like to invite you to participate in Jumpstart's Read for the Record online book drive for your chance to win!  The TWO book drive teams that raise the most funds through the online book drive between 8/6/08 and 10/2/08 will EACH win the following package:

* Four tickets to see the Boston Bruins take on the Dallas Stars on Saturday, November 1, 2008 at 7 pm at the TD Banknorth Garden.
* A meet and greet for your group with a Boston Bruins player courtesy of the Boston Bruins.
* A two-night stay in a Boston area Hyatt Hotel for four from October 31, 2008 through November 2, 2008.

Good luck in your fundraising efforts.  May the best book drive teams win!

Raise $400 and win!

As the Official Media Sponsor of this year’s campaign, XM is excited to reward the first 40 people to raise $400 online with an Xpress Plug & Play XM Satellite Radio Receiver and free activation in honor of Corduroy's 40th anniversary. Winners will enjoy XM's 2008 lineup including more than 170 digital channels of choice from coast to coast: the most music in satellite radio, including 69 commercial-free music channels and exclusive live concerts and original programming, plus premier sports, talk, comedy, children's and entertainment programming; and 21 channels of the most advanced traffic and weather information. Winners will be notified by Jumpstart by October 2 and will receive their radios approximately 4-6 weeks after this.

Thank you for your help as Jumpstart works to build home libraries for the children we work with.  Good luck!

Guides to creating or joining a book drive: