Kevin Youkilis delivers "Batting for Books" donation to Edison School

BOSTON - Mayor Thomas M. Menino today joined Boston Red Sox All-Star Kevin Youkilis to celebrate the delivery of new books to the Thomas A. Edison K-8 School's library in Brighton. Last July at Fenway Park, Mayor Menino and Kevin Youkilis launched the “Batting for Books” program, a new initiative run through the Red Sox first baseman's foundation Hits for Kids that collects books for the libraries throughout the Boston Public Schools system. The program surpassed its goal of collecting 100,000 books.

“Thanks to Kevin Youkilis’ efforts, the students at the Edison School have the opportunity to develop lifelong reading habits,” said Mayor Menino. “By adding more than 100,000 books to our school libraries, we’re fostering a diverse learning environment for all students in Boston.”

This past summer, books were collected at Fenway Park when the Red Sox hosted the Kansas City Royals on July 11th and July 12th.

“We are thrilled at the success of our "Batting for Books" program,” said Kevin Youkilis. “With the support of Mayor Menino, all of our great sponsors, and the generosity of folks from around New England, we have met and exceeded our goal of collecting 100,000 books for Boston Public School libraries. We hope that these books will have immediate positive impact on the students at the Edison School and students at public schools throughout Greater Boston.”

“In order to succeed in school, every child must develop strong reading and writing skills – and a true love of reading,” said Dr. Johnson. “This tremendous donation supports our efforts to infuse school libraries with wonderful collections of new books for students of all ages.”

Superintendent Carol R. Johnson also welcomed Kevin Youkilis to the Edison School and thanked him for supporting literacy work in the Boston Public Schools.

The “Batting for Books” campaign benefits Boston Public Schools libraries at no cost to the City of Boston. The program was originally conceived by Youk’s Kids during a visit to one of the public school libraries in 2007 and the resulting realization that a little help from the community could vastly improve the quality and amount of books available for children to read. Currently, the average age of a book on the shelf at the libraries is twelve years old.

While all children’s books titles are welcome in the book drive, Boston Public Schools has compiled a recommended list of titles for the libraries. Each of these titles is available at a 20 percent discount at the New England Mobile Book Fair in Newton, and online at www.ecookbooks.com/battingforbooks.

In addition to the City of Boston and the Red Sox, Youk’s Kids has also partnered with the following organizations to ensure that the drive runs smoothly and successfully: Valvoline Instant Oil Change, Houghton Mifflin Hartcourt, Mark’s Movers, New England Mobile Book Fair, Rounder Records, and Lesley University.

For more information, please visit http://www.youkskids.org/index.html.

About Kevin Youkilis Hits for Kids
Kevin Youkilis Hits for Kids is a charitable organization focused on raising support and awareness for the health, advocacy, safety, and well-being of children. Rallying the support of individuals and businesses Kevin Youkilis Hits for Kids teams up with existing community-based children’s charities and medical research efforts, which currently lack sufficient funding. Kevin Youkilis Hits for Kids also identifies and partners with businesses that can deliver products and services to children in need, on the behalf of Youk’s Kids. To learn more about Kevin Youkilis Hits for Kids, or to make a donation, please visit www.youkskids.org.