GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dollar General, in partnership with Unilever, concluded the seventh annual “Reading Puts You on the Track to Victory” reading program by presenting grants totaling $72,500 to more than two dozen Charlotte-area elementary schools. The grants were presented to school leaders during pre-race ceremonies at the Dollar General 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday, October 11. Over the past seven years, the program has awarded more than $350,000 to 40 Charlotte-area schools.

The program encourages students to read outside the classroom and achieve reading goals. The results were remarkable with more than 6,000 students from 28 local schools reading more than 2.8 million minutes. The participating schools are located in the Iredell-Statesville School District, Cabarrus County Schools and Ashley Park PreK-8 School in Mecklenburg County. Each participating school received a $2,500 grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation.

“This program is an innovative way to encourage young students to develop a love of reading, which is so important to their success in school and in life,” said Rick Dreiling, chairman and CEO, Dollar General. “Encouraging children to read and providing literacy grants to Charlotte-area schools exemplifies our mission of Serving Others. It’s rewarding to see so many children achieve the high goals they set for themselves by spending more time reading.”

All participating schools received a collection of favorite childhood books from Dollar General and Unilever NASCAR drivers and were eligible for other prizes. By averaging 285 minutes read, Ashley Park PreK-8 School won a driver read-aloud featuring Dollar General NASCAR drivers Matt Kenseth and Brian Vickers. All children that met or exceeded their grade-level reading goals received a racing-themed prize. Jackson Kessler, a first-grader at Royal Oaks Elementary School, read more than 1170 minutes and was this year’s grand prize winner earning a special VIP experience at the NASCAR Nationwide Series Dollar General 300. He also received a collection of autographed books from Kenseth and Vickers, as well as Unilever NASCAR drivers Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Regan Smith.

Celebrating its 20^th anniversary in 2013, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation helps improve the functional literacy of adults and families by providing grants to nonprofit organizations dedicated to the advancement of literacy. Since its inception in 1993, the Foundation has awarded more than $85 million to assist over 4.9 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy or continued education. To learn more about Dollar General’s literacy initiatives and available grants, visit www.dgliteracy.org.

For a complete list of participating schools, additional information, photographs or items to supplement a story, please contact the Media Relations Department at 1-877-944-DGPR (3477) or via email at pr@dg.com.

About Dollar General Corporation

Dollar General Corporation has been delivering value to shoppers for nearly 75 years. Dollar General helps shoppers Save time. Save money. Every day!® by offering products that are frequently used and replenished, such as food, snacks, health and beauty aids, cleaning supplies, basic apparel, house wares and seasonal items at low everyday prices in convenient neighborhood locations. With more than 11,000 stores in 40 states, Dollar General has more retail locations than any retailer in America. In addition to high quality private brands, Dollar General sells products from America's most-trusted manufacturers such as Procter & Gamble, Kimberly-Clark, Unilever, Kellogg's, General Mills, Nabisco, Hanes, PepsiCo and Coca-Cola. Learn more about Dollar General at www.dollargeneral.com.

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