Port Alberni, BC, November 30 - Westcoast Home Hardware in Port Alberni has been chosen to be profiled in a 90-second television feature that will air across Canada on December 2 during CTV's Canada AM as part of Home Hardware's Home Town Stories series profiling the many ways that local Home Hardware Dealers get involved with their communities.

The feature profiles a literacy program spearheaded by Brandi Fraser and the Dealers and staff at Westcoast Home Hardware who challenged students at 8th Avenue School to read 1000 books by the end of the school year in exchange for prizes and a party. Motivation to read at the school had been flagged as an issue, so Brandi created this program as a solution.

Throughout the year, prizes were provided by Westcoast Home Hardware to the 175 students of the school for their reading progress and on June 17th the 1000-book goal was met and exceeded.

"This program has been very rewarding for all of us," said Brandi Fraser. "Our goal is to invest in our community's future by focusing on the youth and we are so pleased to be able to see these children succeed and feel a sense of pride about their accomplishments."

Westcoast Home Hardware provided a lunch party for the students and staff with hot dogs, popcorn machines and cake. As an added bonus, the store conducted a raffle to give away three bikes at the end of the school year for students who undertook additional reading. The school and the students were thrilled with the program and the results.

"Celebrating their reading accomplishments gave the students a great incentive to read," said Lisa Gunther, principal of 8th Avenue School. "The prizes were fun and exciting, and when their names were called out during the assemblies they had a sense of recognition for their reading. Now that we have had the school Home Hardware party for reaching our goal of reading 1000 books, I know that students will continue to be motivated to read next year too."

Westcoast Home Hardware is Building Better Readers again this school year and plans to add more schools to the challenge in the future. Home Hardware Stores Limited has been a community-based business since its inception in 1964, one that encourages its Dealers and staff to build meaningful, long-term relationships with the neighbourhoods they serve. In communities across Canada Home Dealers work hard to ensure that they are making a difference; donating to local charities and initiatives, sponsoring local teams, participating on community councils and volunteering for community clean-up and beautification projects and many other local projects.

The story was selected as one of 20 finalists and a film crew visited the community this summer. The clip can also be viewed online at www.myhometownstory.ca.

About Home Hardware Stores Limited
100% Canadian owned and operated, Home Hardware Stores Limited has a presence in every Canadian province and territory and is the country's largest independent, Dealer-owned hardware, lumber, building materials and furniture cooperative. Founded on January 1, 1964 by 122 independent hardware Dealers, the cooperative now includes more than 1,080 stores, under the Home Hardware, Home Building Centre, Home Hardware Building Centre and Home Furniture banners, with annual collective retail sales of more than $5 billion. Home Hardware's independent Dealer-Owners, recognized by the North American Retail Hardware Association as Canada's best-trained Dealer group, have access to 100,000 quality brand name and private label products, a world-class distribution system and draw upon the power of Home Hardware's network to provide their local communities with top quality products and services at competitive prices.

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For more information, please contact Brandi Fraser, Westcoast Home Hardware, 250-724-3700.