"Reading Rainbow" was cancelled in 2006, but this May, former host LeVar Burton launched a Kickstarter campaign to bring it back. The project reached its goal of $1 million in just 11 hours.
Now it's been confirmed that "Reading Rainbow" has the most backers in the history of Kickstarter, with 92,003 people pledging more than $4.5 million.
Burton tweeted the news this morning.
Hey Y'all… @readingrainbow just became the most backed @kickstarter ever!!!! #THANK #YOU http://t.co/k9ere80B9g
- LeVar Burton (@levarburton) June 30, 2014
Kickstarter then confirmed.
Reading Rainbow just crushed the record for most backers ever! https://t.co/A9gyA9uNTT pic.twitter.com/ygsCxomJmb
- Kickstarter (@kickstarter) June 30, 2014
Though "Reading Rainbow" shattered the record for the most people donating money to a project, the Pebble remains the most-funded Kickstarter project of all time, with $10 million raised by 68,000 backers.
Burton initially sought to raise $1 million with his Kickstarter campaign, but he later adjusted the goal to $5 million in the hopes that it would help even more kids get access to "Reading Rainbow" materials online.
Over the weekend, Seth MacFarlane pledged to match all donations up to $1 million. Only 48 hours remain in the campaign, and they still have $500,000 to go.