Read a Million Minutes

Illustration of two hot air balloons on sky-blue background. Three white clouds are positioned to the left of the two hot air balloons. Red text inside each white cloud. Yellow text on first hot air balloon reads "Read 1,000,000 Minutes" with a black illustration of a child reading. Second hot air balloon has a yellow and red zig-zag design. Black text on yellow border. 

The button pictured above most likely served as a souvenir for Read-A-Million participants in a 1985 event in Iowa. The 'Read-A-Million Minutes' program was started in 1981 by Duane Boehmke, an elementary school principal from Denver, Iowa. Since then, the program has been active in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Missouri, Arizona, and Georgia. Even internationally, in such places as Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Peru. The Read-A-Million minutes program is developed and coordinated by the State Area Education Association Educational Services, with help from state educators throughout Iowa.