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U of M African American Read-in program receives $50,000 gift from author James Patterson~ Author wrote books that became movies 'Kiss the Girls,' 'Along Came a Spider' ~
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL ( 3/8/2007 ) -- Author James Patterson is noted for writing detective tales that keep readers in suspense. Patterson certainly kept Ezra Hyland in suspense last week before announcing that he had made a $50,000 gift to Hyland's African American Read-In program at the University of Minnesota. The African American Read-In program, created by Hyland 11 years ago, aimed to increase literacy rates among African American youth by encouraging reading and writing. Over the years, Hyland has partnered with schools and community organizations to organize reading events and has donated thousands of books to children. Hyland's program attracted the attention of Patterson, creator of the best selling detective series featuring investigator Alex Cross and including the Hollywood-adapted movies "Along Came a Spider" and "Kiss the Girls," starring Morgan Freeman. A champion of reading, Patterson founded the $500,000 Page Turner Awards that seek to spread the excitement and joy of books and reading in the United States. The U of M African American Read-In program is one of 35 literacy programs to receive 2007 Page Turner Awards. Hyland, a teaching specialist in the university's College of Education and Human Development, said the gift will raise the visibility of the African American Read-In program and make a tremendous impact. "This is a great award for our program," said Hyland, "The incredible thing about this award is that James Patterson had the courage to look beyond our name and respond to what we try to do. Too often when you have a program that focuses on inner city or African American issues, people look at you as suspect. But if we can raise those on the bottom, everyone above them benefits." Hyland said the gift will allow his program to expand services to the children. "We will be able to do more events and more children will be given books," Hyland said. "We can expand our writing component and we will be able to take the children to events and visit the U of M campus or attend a play at Penumbra Theater." ---------- |
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