Anthony Harvey/Getty ImagesSeth MacFarlane is putting some serious dough behind Reading Rainbow. LeVar Burton announced the Family Guy creator and voice actor has agreed to match all the pledges over the next few days dollar for dollar, up to $1 million.
"Yes, that Seth MacFarlane," Burton said in a video message, as if anticipating the reaction you are having at this very moment.
"That's right: for each dollar pledged over $4,000,000, Seth will MATCH IT, dollar for dollar, up to 1 MILLION DOLLARS!" the Star Trek: The Next Generation star said in an post on the Kickstarter site.
Currently, the Kickstarter for Reading Rainbow has more than $4 million dollars. Its original goal was $1 million and now Burton is trying to reach $5 million.
If the Kickstarter reaches $5 million and MacFarlane's $1 million is factored in, that would bring the program to more than 12,500 classrooms. Burton's Reading Rainbow Kickstarter campaign launched in late May with the goal to bring the brand back in more ways than one. Already a successful tablet app, Burton aims to expand Reading Rainbow to other devices and bring it into the classroom for teachers as well as provide them with necessary tools to help foster a love of reading in today's youth.
The Kickstarter reached its original goal of $1 million in a day.
Reading Rainbow aired on PBS from 1983-2006 and won numerous awards, including a Peabody Award and 26 Emmys. The Kickstarter campaign lasts until July 2.