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Raleigh, NC (Aug. 12, 2009) — On Sunday, August 16, from 4pm – 6pm, Marbles Kids Museum presents the 6th Annual Kickoff to Kindergarten to celebrate the special time of excitement and wonderment for kindergartners of Wake County. This school-readiness event helps kids and their families make the transition into school both successful and memorable.

At the event kindergarteners will board a school bus, go through their first lunch line, participate in a PE class and apply for their very own library card and tour the Wake County Public Libraries Bookmobile. Parents can talk with kindergarten teachers and other Wake County Public School System officials. The kids band Big Bang Boom will entertain and delight children and adults alike, and SuperWHY and Readeroo from PBS and UNC-TV will make special guest appearances. With the help of its partners and contributors, Marbles Kids Museum will give away backpacks filled with school supplies to the first 500 kindergarteners in attendance.
 
The event is free and open to residents of Wake County with rising or current kindergarten students. Marbles Kids Museum and its partners help to offset the expense of school supplies to economically disadvantaged families and welcome them into the school system.

Sponsors include: Discount School Supply, Food Lion, Project Enlightenment (part of WCPSS), Stone’s Education Superstore, UNC-TV Just for Kids, Wake County and Wake County Ready to Learn.

Partners include: ARC of Wake County, BeActive North Carolina, Childcare Services Association, Kids Connect, Wake County Public Libraries, Wake County Public School System and WakeMed Health and Hospitals.

About Marbles Kids Museum
Marbles Kids Museum is a hands-on, minds-on museum that inspires imagination, discovery and learning through extraordinary adventures and larger-than-life IMAX® experiences. Located in downtown Raleigh, Marbles offers dozens of creatively themed exhibits, daily programs and activities, field trips, camps, birthday parties, giant screen IMAX films and special events. Exhibits are designed for children under 10 and their families. For more information, visit www.marbleskidsmuseum.org.