Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton today hosted a news conference to commend returning Mayor’s Book Club sponsors, thank six new sponsors and encourage more business community participation in his early literacy initiative. 

The new sponsorships, totaling more than $80,000, will support six of the 11 books and one coloring book for the nearly 9,000 4-year-olds who will join the fifth year of the Mayor’s Book Club beginning in August.  New sponsors include:
- Fidelity National Information Services Inc., “We Love Our River!” book
- Jacksonville Network for Strengthening Families, “We’re Going to the Beach!” book
- Jacksonville Public Library Foundation, “We Love the Library!” book
- Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust, “River City Clock Tower: What Do You See?” coloring book and “We’re Looking for the Alphabet!” book
- The Early Learning Coalition of Duval, “I’m Going to Kindergarten!” book
- Wolfson Children’s Hospital, “I Can Read!” book

In addition, the Mayor commended the existing partners for supporting initiative for another year.  Returning sponsors include the Jacksonville Jaguars (“We Say ‘Go Jaguars’!” book) and WAWS FOX 30 (Mayor’s Book Club television program and promotional support).

“In these challenging budget times, collaboration and partnership with community-minded organizations like these is more important than ever,” said Mayor Peyton.  “Thanks to their generosity, we may continue to provide even more learning tools and resources to our pre-kindergartners, help them enter the school system more prepared to learn and succeed and ultimately build a more promising future for our community.”

RALLY Jacksonville!, Mayor Peyton’s early literacy initiative, has been lauded by The Jacksonville Journey community-lead anti-crime initiative.  The Mayor’s Book Club is just one component of the four-prong initiative.

“We know that in order to reverse the culture of violence in our city, we must provide a strong foundation for youngest citizens by arming them with the knowledge and the resources to succeed,” said the Mayor.  “RALLY Jacksonville! offers numerous opportunities for our business community and individual citizens to demonstrate their commitment to our children.”

Opportunities for sponsorship and involvement in RALLY Jacksonville! include sponsoring one or more of the six remaining books (“We Say Thank You City Helpers,” “We’re Going to the Jacksonville Zoo,” “We’re Going to the Timucuan Preserve,” “We Love the Library,”  “We Love Our River,” and  “We’re Going to the Jacksonville Museums”); sponsoring the reading blanket; sponsoring the alphabet flash cards; donating to the RALLY! fund or forming a RALLY Champions! team. 

The RALLY Champions! program matches a specific group or organization to a neighborhood childcare center.  RALLY Champions! teams have the flexibility to choose how to help a childcare partner by sending volunteers to read to children in the pre-kindergarten classrooms, providing funding, donating classroom items, sponsoring monthly themed events, assisting with furnishing classrooms, hosting teacher appreciation days and/or participating in other activities in agreement with the center director.

All donations to RALLY Jacksonville! are tax deductible.

RALLY Jacksonville!, otherwise known as the Mayor's literacy initiative, is Mayor John Peyton's plan to and increase the number of children who are ready for school at the beginning of kindergarten and improve the quality of Jacksonville’s childcare sites.

This community-wide initiative is operated under the auspices of the Jacksonville Children's Commission and guided by the commitment of the mayor to make early literacy and reading a top priority.  It utilizes multiple strategies through a combination of public-private partnerships and improves the literacy rate and school readiness skills of low-income children.

All Duval County 4-year-olds are eligible to join the Book Club in the year prior to entering kindergarten. Mayor’s Book Club members receive a backpack filled with a set of 11 books, alphabet flash cards, a reading blanket, T-shirt, book organizer, book mark and door hanger. All of these literacy components are branded with the Mayor's Book Club logo and logos of the program’s key corporate sponsors.

Each year, 8,000-10,000 children join the Book Club and since the program’s inception four years ago, more than 35,000 4-year-olds have participated.  The fifth year of the Mayor’s Book Club will kick off with a registration event in September.

To learn more about RALLY Jacksonville!, visit the Jacksonville Children’s Commission online at www.jaxkids.net or call (904) 630-4754.