Reading opens up worlds, says UWindsor president Alan Wildeman.

“So much of our knowledge is centred in written form,” he says. “Without being able to read, you don’t have the same opportunity to explore what the world has to offer.”

Dr. Wildeman joined volunteers from across the community who spread out across Windsor-Essex on Thursday, exchanging special editions of the Windsor Star for contributions to the Raise-a-Reader campaign. The effort raises funds for family literacy programs, distributing reading skills and books to local children.

Wildeman donned an orange T-shirt bearing the campaign’s logo to solicit donations in the drive-through lane outside a Wyandotte Street coffee shop.

“I want to encourage a love of learning in our young people,” he says. “I really enjoyed being able to take a little time this morning to support this worthwhile cause.”

The Raise-A-Reader program has generated almost $20 million since its national launch in 2002. Learn more at www.raiseareader.com; to donate, call 1-866-637-READ.