ABOVE: Watch LeVar Burton’s reaction to hitting $1 million via Kickstarter for Reading Rainbow.
TORONTO — An emotional LeVar Burton posted a message online Thursday after his crowd-funding campaign to bring back Reading Rainbow hit the $1 million mark in its first day.
Only hours after sharing his heartfelt thanks, the Kickstarter total had nearly doubled.
“I don’t know what to say. I am overwhelmed,” Burton said in the video. “This is going to enable us to really, really do a lot of good.”
Burton, who began Reading Rainbow in 1983, said he was proud of the Kickstarter community.
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“It’s unbelievable. Or, actually, it’s actually very believable,” he said. “Thank you so much. We are literally changing the world one children’s book at a time. God bless.”
Burton launched the Kickstarter campaign Thursday in hopes of bringing Reading Rainbow “back for every child, everywhere.”
Originally a PBS television series, Reading Rainbow is now available as an app for tablets and Burton is anxious to create a website.
The campaign set out to raise $1 million by July 2. Rewards include autographs and voice mail messages from Burton as well as opportunities to meet the star.
“The first million raised will help us get onto the web and into 1,500+ classrooms,” read a message on the Kickstarter page. “We’ll be sharing our new goals in the next 1-2 days.”
BELOW: Watch LeVar Burton’s pitch video for Kickstarter.
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