Reading Changed My Life - Townsend Press

Julia Burneyhere? If you want to do this story, you ought tocome here next summer when you can do it right.”The producer tried again. “She said, ‘Julia, doyou understand—this is the Today show? Thebiggest morning show in the country?”Julia said she understood. But she still wasn’tcoming to New York.So the following July, the Today show came toRacine. Katie Couric interviewed Julia and did atouching episode on her efforts to bring books toher community’s neediest children.Julia had great faith in the Cops ’n Kids idea.But what happened next was almost too much foreven her to believe.Producers at the Oprah Winfrey organizationsaw the Today program. They contacted Julia andtold her she had been chosen to receive one ofOprah’s “Use Your Life” awards. The award carriedwith it a check for $100,000. In September 2000,Julia appeared on the Oprah show to accept the77