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Seth MacFarlane of 'Family Guy' offers to match donations up to $1 million for 'Reading Rainbow' Kickstarter campaign

MacFarlane said he will match up to $1 million in donations made to the fundraiser between June 27 and July 2.

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Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Seth MacFarlane of 'A Million Ways to Die in the West' says he will match up to $1 million in Kickstarter donations for a Web version of 'Reading Rainbow.'
  • By Molly Driscoll Staff Writer

Actor LeVar Burton’s planned reboot of the educational program “Reading Rainbow” just got some more financial help.

“Family Guy” creator and director, writer, and star of the recent comedy “A Million Ways to Die in the West” Seth MacFarlane recently announced that he will match up to $1 million if it’s donated to Burton’s Kickstarter campaign between June 27 and July 2. 

The PBS program “Reading Rainbow” ran between 1983 to 2006 and Burton later created a "Rainbow" app. On May 28, former host Burton began a Kickstarter campaign to create an online version that he said he hoped would let children watch at home and allow schools to use the program without any cost.

His original goal was $1 million and that was met in less than 24 hours, so he increased the goal to $5 million. 

According to the Associated Press, MacFarlane offered to help out after he learned of the $5 million goal. 

“Every dollar we are raising right now gives us the ability to give the 'Reading Rainbow' product away to more schools in need,” Burton said, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Some criticized the Kickstarter effort because the new “Reading Rainbow” will require Internet access, which could be unavailable to some schools and families.

The fundraiser has raised more than $4,500,000 so far. 

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