Ferrells Beat Illiteracy Through Emergency Financial Assistance

Will Ferrell and his wife, Viveca Paulin-Ferrell, held an emergency financial assistance fundraiser at their home in the Hollywood Hills to benefit the charity organization Room to Read, a non-profit designed to help people worldwide beat illiteracy by providing schools, libraries and books to children that may not have access to the materials otherwise.

Will Ferrell took the stage as Viveca served as the evening’s auctioneer.  Room to Read founder and co-chair John Wood was also on hand.  The event, and the auction, raised nearly $300,000 to support the construction of four schools, nine libraries and 10,000 young adult books that will provide as much as 256 years of education.  Celebrities participating in the auction include Jack Black, Molly Shannon and Fred Savage.

Ongoing Events to Raise Money for Financial Assistance

The founders and supporters of Room to Read along with committee members, plan to make the fundraiser an annual event with the hopes of raising awareness for the program and its goals.  The organization’s goals include gender equality through education and developing literacy skills for children to help them succeed in their secondary education careers.  Since its inception in 2000, Room to Read has helped to impact more than five million people in Africa and Asia.  The goal of the charity organization is to continue to help people and provide emergency financial assistance to as many as ten million people by 2015.

Tags: charitable giving, charitable resources, Emergency Financial Assistance, MicroGiving