Wild About Reading at the zoo

Alecia Foster

GRIFFITH PARK -- There’s more to the Los Angeles Zoo than just exotic

animals.

“People lose sight of the fact the zoo is an educational institution,”

said Zoo Director Manuel Mollinedo.

Besides playing host to a magnet school there, zoo officials have

reached out to the community through various educational programs.

On Thursday, officials unveiled one more: “Verizon’s Wild About

Reading.”

The summer literacy program is a partnership between the zoo and the

communications company that will feature a host of celebrities reading

animal-related books to children.

Promoting literacy has become an important cause for Verizon, said Tim

McCallion, president of Verizon’s Pacific Region. “Literacy remains vital

to our businesses and our economy.”

The program will aid in that cause by spreading the message to

children that reading is fun, he said.

Verizon donated $100,000 to the zoo for Wild About Reading. Also

joining the partnership was the Screen Actors Guild Foundation through

its BookPALS program.

BookPALS, founded by actress Barbara Bain, who was at the event

Thursday, has brought actors and other performers to schools to read to

children, and will do so for the new zoo program. Some of the readers

include actresses Melissa Gilbert and Pam Dawber and Mallory Lewis &

Lambchop.

Besides being able to hear celebrity readers, all children will

receive a Wild About Reading activity book when they enter the zoo.

All celebrity readings will take place between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. each

Saturday and Sunday through Labor Day.