Seth Macfarlane has promised to match up to $1 million dollars in Kickstarter pledges in order to fund an online version of Reading Rainbow. The project already has $4 million but, if backers contribute even more, MacFarlane has pledged to double the donations. Actor LeVar Burton, who is championing the cause, hopes backers will contribute a million so the project, with MacFarlane's contribution, will begin with $6 million.

Seth MacFarlane
Seth MacFarlane has pledged up to $1 to Reading Rainbow.

The project is being fronted by Star Trek: The Next Generation star Burton who also presented Reading Rainbow when it aired on PBS between 1983 and 2006. The show was intended to encourage young people to read. Each episode was themed and a celebrity guest would appear on the show reading a children's book. Such guests included Eartha Kitt and Bill Cosby. 

The show has been championed by Burton throughout its run and he has continued in his attempts to revive the show in various formats. In 2012 a Reading Rainbow iPad app was launched which has continued to be successful on the Apple store. Now Burton is campaigning to make Reading Rainbow available online. The service plans to charge a $5 monthly subscription to homeowners but the money being raised via Kickstarter is aimed to ensure the service can be accessed free of charge by thousands of underfunded classrooms. 

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LeVar Burton
LeVar Burton presented Reading Rainbow throughout its 23 year run.

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Burton explained how the money, should funding reach $5 million, would ensure Reading Rainbow reached 7500 classrooms whilst the additional million provided by MacFarlane would provide the service free of charge to another 5000 classrooms. As Burton points out if contributors donate the additional million, 12500 classrooms will be able to access the service.

LaVar, speaking on a video posted on Kickstarter, thanked MacFarlane for his "amazing generosity" and suggested fans contact him on Twitter to show their appreciation. He concluded by addressing MacFarlane, saying: "Seth, this donation is going to help us ensure this next generation is indeed a generation who loves to read. And that's not small thing. You've got deep pockets baby but you've got an even bigger heart."

MacFarlane will double the donations up to a million after the Kickstarter project closes on 2nd July 2014. There's only 5 days left so start donating!

Contribute To The Kickstarter Reading Rainbow. 

Seth MacFarlane
Seth MacFarlane wrote A Million Ways To Die In The West, the premise for his latest film.