H-E-B Supports Childhood Literacy

SN STAFF

SAN ANTONIO — As part of a childhood literacy program, Read 3, launched Tuesday, H.E. Butt Grocery will run an in-store campaign, Sept. 7-20.

During this two-week celebration, customers will find information and tools at their H-E-B store that will show them how to turn their shopping trip into a fun learning opportunity for their children. Activities for the children will include in-store scavenger hunts and activity pages, H-E-Buddy story times and the launch of the H-E-Buddy Book of the Month Club.

Starting in September, H-E-Buddy will select a book each month. The chosen selection will be offered at H-E-B for 40% off its regular retail price. Children will be able to earn points and rewards for reading and participating in the book club.

During the two-week event, parents can also expect to take advantage of special savings that can place up to 10 free books in their hands. In honor of the Read 3 campaign launch, H-E-B will run seven Combo Locos and one Meal Deal where customers can either buy a product and receive a free book or buy a book and get a free product.

One of the free books to be featured is 1-2-3 Si. The first in a series of four, this book was made possible through a partnership with the San Antonio Public Library Foundation, the San Antonio Museum of Art and Trinity University Press. It is a bilingual counting book featuring real artifacts from exhibits at the San Antonio Museum of Art.

Also for the Read 3 event, H-E-B will offer a Buy One, Give One book promotion. For every customer who purchases a select Random House book from now through the end of the year, H-E-B and Random House will donate a book to First Book, a non-profit organization that provides new books to children in need.

Rounding out the Read 3 in-store activities, stores will utilize their demo stations to distribute bookmarks from local libraries that encourage customers to visit their local library to sign-up for library card. These sample stations will also have information available on the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards encouraging customers to nominate their teachers, principals and school districts for a 2012 award on heb.com.

The in-store events are part of a three-pronged campaign that includes making books affordable to the community and educational outreach on nutrition and literacy.