Bench Elementary students in Billings will have a solid library of books by the end of the school year, thanks to TDS Telecommunications LLC (TDS®).
As a Teacher’s Pet Sponsor ($5,500), TDS provides each student at Bench Elementary one grade-level book per month for the entire school year. That is about 300 students.
“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to TDS for their significant contributions to the Books for Kids program,” said Justin Hutchinson, director of the Big J Show Cares. “We couldn’t have achieved this incredible feat without the support of the Billings community and its generous individuals and businesses.”
Jaxon, a student at Bench, says he “loves Book Day” because he gets to keep the book. “After a few days of being in my book box, I get to take it home. It’s all mine!”
The Big J Show and the Education Foundation for Billings Public Schools have joined forces to once again raise funds for the “Books for Kids” program. Together, they raised an impressive $77,451 to support literacy in the local schools. Thanks to the overwhelming support from the Billings community, over 4,300 students across 14 schools in the area will receive a monthly book throughout the upcoming academic year.
Studies show creating a steady stream of new, age-appropriate books has shown to nearly triple interest in reading within months. Children who aren’t reading at grade level by the end of third grade are four times as likely to drop out of high school.
The Third Annual Books for Kids Program is part of The Big J Show Cares, a non-profit focused on taking care of the people of the Billings area. The Education Foundation of the Billings Public Schools is a proud partner of The Big J Show Cares, supporting literacy through Reading Rocks and empowering more kids to read.
Bench Elementary is located on Milton Road in Billings.
TDS is committed to giving back to the communities it serves. Being a local community partner is central to TDS’ mission and values.
Area residents can visit www.tdsfiber.com to register for service, monitor the progress of the build, and sign up for notifications about the new service.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Cheryl McCollum | Associate Manager – Communications | TDS | 608-664-2388 or 608-658-8158 (cell) | [email protected]
TDS Telecommunications LLC (TDS Telecom/TDS®) delivers high-speed internet, TV entertainment, and phone services to a mix of rural and suburban communities throughout the U.S. With 1.2 million connections, TDS is a rapidly growing technology company. Powered by fiber-optics and new industry-leading technologies, TDS delivers up to 8 Gigabit internet speeds and offers internet-protocol based TV entertainment solutions along with traditional phone services. TDS also offers businesses VoIP advanced communications solutions, dedicated internet service, data networking, and hosted-managed services. Visit tdstelecom.com.
TDS Telecom, headquartered in Madison, Wis., employs 3,500 people and is a subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. [NYSE: TDS], a Fortune 1000® company. Founded in 1969, Telephone and Data Systems provides wireless, broadband, video and voice; and hosted and managed services to approximately 6 million connections nationwide through its businesses: UScellular, TDS Telecom, and OneNeck IT Solutions. Visit tdsinc.com.
