Test Drive a Mazda and Put a Book in a School Library

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Mazda may be having its financial problems but that hasn't stopped it from committing to donating $1 million to buy books for public school libraries.

Mazda will donate $25 for each test drive taken at a dealership between now and April 2. Administered by the National Education Association Foundation, these test drive donations will provide vital funds to help the nation's struggling public school libraries. Plus, for a relatively cheap $25, Mazda gets strong leads on people interested in their products.

It's all part of Mazda's "Read Across America Tour" in conjunction with the NEA, and Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment's Dr. Seuss' The Lorax. That's been a difficult partnership in some aspects for Mazda because of the belief by some that the children's classic should not be commercialized. Of course, the Geissel family would probably disagree with belief because of the longtime financial success it has enjoyed from the Dr. Seuss books.

NEA's Read Across America Program is the organization's signature literacy effort to help children develop a love of reading during their early years. Studies show that students who enjoy reading perform better in school, boast higher test scores, develop comprehension proficiency and improve analytical skills faster and better than their peers who read less frequently.

Go to the Mazda Facebook page to receive your test-drive certificate and enter for an opportunity to win a trip to Universal Orlando Resort. See the website for all the details and good luck.

As mentioned above, Mazda has been having its financial difficulties of late. In a story published in Automotive News, it was reported that the "Mazda battling four years of losses, is offering voluntary buyout packages to U.S. workers and raising the specter of dismissals in an effort to cut costs."

So, not only will taking a Mazda test drive help put books in public school libraries, it could also help keep the Zoom Zoom brand in business if you like what you see.