Three years ago Pizza Hut embarked on a mission to increase the number of families that participate in nightly reading rituals in their homes.

Based in part on the success of the company's National Reading Incentive Program, known as BOOK IT!, they created America's Biggest Bedtime Story.

The program was developed in response to research that revealed that nearly half of all American parents (48 percent of those responding to a BOOK IT! Program survey) do not have a nightly tradition of reading to their kids before bed.

Pizza Hut set out to change that, and critically-acclaimed actor John Lithgow was eager to lend a hand.

Beginning at 9:00 a.m. today, readers are invited to log on to http://www.bookitprogram.com and view a webcast featuring Lithgow reading his new book, Carnival of Animals.

Just last year over 190,000 participants watched Lithgow read his book, I Got Two Dogs.

Pizza Hut is looking to break that record, and as an added incentive, the company will donate 50,000 meals to Haiti Relief through the World Food Programme if more viewers log on today than during the webcast last year.

So, what's the Lake Highlands connection, you might ask?

Well, Pizza Hut needed some cute, pajama-clad kiddos to help promote their national reading initiative, and that's exactly where our local community comes in.

The company's corporate media team arrived on the campus of Lake Highlands Elementary early morning on Thursday, February 4th - and the filming began.

As you can see by the pictures, it was an exciting experience for the first graders in the elementary school class of Jennifer Ross.

"It was so exciting to have the film crew here for the morning," says Ross. "It was fun for the kids, and lessons about reading are certainly easy to work into our day!"

And remember, this challenge is a fun one - just grab your books and PJs, log on to the webcast and you, too, can be part of the nation’s largest annual bedtime story event.

(Since the webcast runs all day, it works for naptime, too.)

“The goal of America’s Biggest Bedtime Story is to encourage more families to start a tradition of reading together for at least 20 minutes every night," says Leslie Brunt, program director of the BOOK IT! Program.

As an added bonus, an encore presentation of John Lithgow’s 2009 reading of I Got Two Dogs will also be available for viewing.

Then there's that special challenge to all the readers. "If 2010 is our largest event yet, the readers will help provide a donation for Haiti relief through the WFP," reminds Brunt.

You can watch the webcast beginning at 9:00 a.m. today, and it runs through 11:59 p.m. tonight.

You won't see our LH students in the webcast (their sweet faces are being used in the media promotion for the event) but you will see John Lithgow read his new book, Carnival of Animals, as families everywhere become a part of America's Biggest Bedtime Story.

So cuddle up with your little ones, and log on to http://www.bookitprogram.com today!

Our thanks to Wendy and Carl Lucas for the lead photo of Wendy and son, Blake, during filming in their home.