The first-ever National Readathon Day, organized by the National Book Foundation, Penguin Random House, Goodreads, and Mashable, will take place on Saturday, January 24 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

“You might take for granted how easy it is for you to read this sentence, but millions of Americans still struggle with basic literacy,” reads Random House’s blog post promoting the event. “40% of American adults are either at or below basic reading proficiency, and 14% are fully illiterate.”

The organizers are urging that participants—including individuals, bookstores, libraries, and schools—host “reading parties” and create a page on Firstgiving.com to raise funds for the National Book Foundation (NBF). Those who reach particular fundraising targets will receive prizes.

The NBF, perhaps known best for its prestigious annual awards, offers literacy programs for underserved communities, including “Book Up” and “Innovations in Reading.” NBF’s executive director Harold Augenbraum told The Washington Post that “We’ve been working to expand our national programs to promote a culture of reading in America, and this is a terrific opportunity to broaden the awareness in communities across the country and to infuse funds into our community-based programs.”

Though Edith Wharton’s birthday occurs on January 24, Augenbraum said the reasoning behind the date wasn’t historical. “We wanted to do it during the winter, which is a time that many people are indoors, at home or in a bookstore or in a library when it’s really cold outside, and there’s less of an inducement to do other things.”

Watch authors talk about the power of books and make #timetoread!