NBC'S Al Roker Returns as Host of Nation's Premier Middle School Vocabulary Competition

PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y., March 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Reader's Digest Association announced today that Al Roker, NBC Today Show co-host and feature reporter, will return as host and quizmaster for the fifth annual Reader's Digest National Word Power Challenge, the nation's premier middle school vocabulary competition. The 2007 National Championship will be held at the Renaissance Orlando Resort at SeaWorld and Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, from May 13 - 15.

"As a broadcast journalist, I rely on words to communicate each day's news and weather, so I know how important a good vocabulary is to success," said Al Roker. "Being quizmaster of the Reader's Digest National Word Power Challenge gives me an opportunity to share my love of language and encourage young people to get excited about the power of words."

More than two million students nationwide have already participated in preliminary school challenges, which began last fall with school-administered tests. The top 6th, 7th and 8th graders in each state, Washington, DC, and Department of Defense Dependents schools, will participate in state championships held on March 19. Winners of those events advance to the national championship. A television special based on the competition will be produced by Al Roker Entertainment, Inc. and be broadcast on NBC stations this summer.

"A strong vocabulary is an essential foundation for good communication skills. It is imperative to reach students during their middle school years through programs like the Word Power Challenge to foster a lifelong love of words and reading," said Mary Henton, Director of Integrated Media Initiatives at the National Middle School Association.

Based on Reader's Digest's popular "Word Power" feature, which has been enriching America's vocabulary for over 60 years, the National Word Power Challenge is a natural educational outreach expansion of the magazine. Now in its fifth year celebrating literacy, the Word Power Challenge awards $50,000 in college scholarships.

"Our past participants, like 2005 winner Billy Dorminy who wrote a book on vocabulary, know how words can open doors. From improving test scores to acing job interviews, words touch on every aspect of our life and we look forward to imparting that knowledge to a new group of contestants," said Kathleen Bordelon, executive director of the Reader's Digest National Word Power Challenge.

Top state winners and their teacher escorts receive an all-expense-paid trip to the National Championship in Orlando, Florida, to the Renaissance Orlando Resort at SeaWorld for the opening round of competition on Monday, May 14. The top ten finalists compete in the championship round on Tuesday, May 15 at Universal Studios. The first place winner receives a $25,000 college scholarship. Second and third place winners receive college scholarships of $15,000 and $10,000, respectively.

The Reader's Digest National Word Power Challenge is sponsored nationally by Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats. Additional support for the program is provided by BIC stationery products.

The Reader's Digest National Word Power Challenge

Based on the popular "Word Power" column in Reader's Digest Magazine, the most widely read magazine in the world, the Reader's Digest National Word Power Challenge is an educational outreach program of Reader's Digest Association, Inc. Over two million students compete in the nation's premier vocabulary competition. For more information, please visit http://www.wordpowerchallenge.com/.

Kellogg Company

With 2005 sales in excess of $10 billion, Kellogg Company is the world's leading producer of cereal and a leading producer of convenience foods, including cookies, crackers, toaster pastries, cereal bars, frozen waffles, and meat alternatives. The Company's brands include Kellogg's, Keebler, Pop- Tarts, Eggo, Cheez-It, Club, Nutri-Grain, Rice Krispies, All-Bran, Special K, Mini-Wheats, Chips Deluxe, Sandies, Morningstar Farms, Famous Amos, and Kashi. Kellogg products are manufactured in 17 countries and marketed in more than 180 countries around the world. For more information, visit Kellogg's web site at http://www.kelloggcompany.com/.

BIC

For more than 50 years, BIC has honored the tradition of providing high- quality, affordable products to consumers everywhere. Through this unwavering dedication, BIC has become one of the most recognized brands in the world. The company values the hard work and dedication of America's teachers and their students. It is for this reason BIC has chosen to sponsor the Reader's Digest National Word Power Challenge. For more information on BIC, visit http://www.bicworld.com/.