Though some of our childhood memories may be vague or blurry, there are others that will forever stand out in our memory bank. For me, one of the prime examples of core throwback childhood memories include earning free pizza for reading books in school.

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Do you remember the BOOK IT! Program?

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BOOK IT! Rewards Kids For Reading In School

The concept is simple, and it truly hasn't changed all that much since my school days. Dating back to 1984 (which by the way is way before my school days), the BOOK IT! program was introduced to schools, where kids earn Pizza Hut pizza for reading books. Pizza Hut estimates that since then, more than 1.5 billion pizzas have been awarded to readers through the initiative.

Over the past few years, BOOK IT! has introduced digital reading logs and virtual classrooms to keep up with the evolution of classroom technology trends.

The BOOK IT! Program, according to the official Pizza Hut Press Release:

Is the nation's longest-running corporate-supported reading initiative, BOOK IT! provides a platform that encourages students from Pre-K through 6th grade to set and achieve their reading goals. The program's core mission has always been to cultivate a deep, personal connection with reading.

SEE ALSO: Hudson Valley Kids Can Earn Free Pizzas By Reading, Here's How

Pizza Hut Celebrates 40 Years of Book It! With 1 Million Free Personal Pan Pizzas

Though the program has been structured for the past 40 years for kids to earn personal pan pizzas for reading, as part of their anniversary celebration, Pizza Hut is now inviting readers of ALL ages to get in on the action.

For the month of October, or when the one million pizza mark has been reached, Pizza Hut, in collaboration with National Book Month, will be giving away a million personal pan pizzas to readers of all ages. 'Customers can snag their free six-inch pizza with a purchase of $8 by plugging in the promo code "BOOKIT40" when ordering online.'

According to Pizza Hut President, Carl Loredo, who is incredibly proud of what the program has achieved since 1984...

It's inspired more than 70 million children to discover the magic of books, helping to build a lifelong love of reading. As we're celebrating 40 years, we're excited to invite readers of all ages to rediscover the joy of reading—one book (and pizza) at a time.

Sadly, here in the Hudson Valley our lone remaining Pizza Hut location is in Newburgh, but it's worth the trip to get your hands on a free pie. Do you remember the former locations in the area below?

Former Pizza Hut Locations in the Hudson Valley, New York

These locations were once a Pizza Hut restaurant.

There's a Retro Pizza Hut Inside This Amazing New Haven Air Bnb

New Haven is the Pizza Capital of the world, and if El Presidente comes back to town, I found the perfect place for him to sleep off the cheese coma - A very cool rental available on Air Bnb that features a classic Pizza Hut booth, complete with those big red plastic cups. Have a look at this place, it's available for under $100 a night.

Gallery Credit: Jason via Airbnb.com

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