Although balancing busy schedules and family lives, celebrities often take time out to make appearances in support of their favorite social issues. Some represent child abuse, others, the environment, and some, politics. Today we’ll look at a few who have used their celebrity to support literacy.
Jackie Joyner-Kersey and Ben Vereen were joined by Franklin the Turtle on the morning of September 8th, 2000, a day that had been set aside to celebrate International Literacy Day. (If you look really closely at this picture, you can almost see them.) Over 300 children and parents were present at this Massachusetts gathering. The children received Franklin hats and t-shirts, had the opportunity to shake hands with the celebrities present, and get autographs signed for them. Also present was Paulette Bourgeois, the author of the Franklin stories.
Jackie and Ben took turns reading aloud from the first Franklin book ever published, “Franklin in the Dark,” as part of their way to show that they support literacy. A few small children were frightened of the giant Franklin present, but it was just a guy in a turtle suit. Nothing to fear there. (“Franklin in the Dark” was later made into one of the episodes of the television show bearing the little turtle’s name.)
More recently, on January 27th, Canadian celebrities met in Toronto to discuss their favorite children’s books to commemorate Family Literacy Day, a nation-wide event. Musician Sarah McLachlan read her favorite story book, “Green Eggs and Ham” by the immortal Dr. Seuss.
Over in Great Britain this last October, Kate Winslet and Sir Ian McKellan, along with Phil Collins and many other noted British celebrities, donated rough sketches done on envelopes to be auctioned for the National Literacy Trust. Sir Ian’s drawing was a pretty good rendition of a wizard smoking a pipe, while Kate Winslet’s envelope has a heart, fish and tree. (You can see some of the envelopes by clicking here.) Fund organizers anticipated raising a good amount of money to benefit their literacy charity.
No matter what year, no matter what country, it’s wonderful see celebrities utilize their names to promote literacy and other causes. It’s like using your powers for good, and not evil.
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