Press Release

Bianca Ryan, reigning America's Got Talent Champion, Along With Over 200 Volunteers Team Up for One Day Project

ST. LOUIS (June 15, 2007) – On June 20, more than 200 beary special volunteers from Build-A-Bear Workshop®, The Homeless Families Foundation and organizers from KaBOOM! will break out tools to construct a new state-of-the-art community playground. The play space will be built at The Homeless Families Foundation Dowd Education Center in Columbus, Ohio.

Rain or shine, the pawsome playground will be constructed in one day. Volunteers will begin at 8:30 a.m. and by 2:30 p.m. the new playground will be completed! The ribbon-cutting ceremony begins at 3 p.m., led by Bianca Ryan, reigning America's Got Talent Champion, to commemorate completion of the new play area and a dream come true!

The playground will have colorful slides, rock walls, swings and much more for the children in the community who currently do not have a place to play. The playground was designed based on input from the children of The Homeless Families Foundation. In April during a special Design Day, they put crayon to paper to draw their dream playgrounds for KaBOOM! planners.

As part of its 10th birthday cele-bear-ation, Build-A-Bear Workshop® is providing both financial and volunteer resources for this playground build. Build-A-Bear Workshop will build 10 playgrounds in 10 cities including: Columbus, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Houston, Toronto, Boston, Denver, Salt Lake City, Dallas and St. Louis.

“In celebration of our 10th birthday this year, we wanted to enhance our giving efforts in a special way by providing something special to the children and the communities in which we are located,” said Maxine Clark, founder and chief executive bear, Build-A-Bear Workshop. “What better way to do that than to give them a place to play, dream and be creative!”

To help build these furbulous playgrounds, Build-A-Bear Workshop partnered with KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit organization whose vision is to create a great place to play within walking distance of every child in North America.

"KaBOOM! is thrilled to be partnering with Build-A-Bear Workshop on these 10 unique projects that will give thousands of children across North America a great place to play within walking distance," said Darell Hammond, CEO and co-founder, KaBOOM!.

Together KaBOOM! and Build-A-Bear Workshop chose a community partner in each of 10 cities that lacked the resources to build a playground on their own.

“In 2006, HFF served 463 homeless children,” said Casey Clark, HFF Trustee. “Now, thanks to Build-A-Bear Workshop and KaBOOM! we will be able to provide a fun and safe outdoor environment for HFF homeless children, homeless children from other local shelters and at risk children.”

About Build-A-Bear Workshop
About Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc., is the only global company that offers an interactive make-your-own stuffed animal retail-entertainment experience. Founded in St. Louis in 1997, the company currently operates more than 275 stores in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland. The addition of franchise stores in Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia make Build-A-Bear Workshop the leader in interactive retail. In November 2004, the company expanded the make-your-own concept from stuffed animals to dolls with the opening of its first friends 2B made® stores, where Guests can make their own doll friends. Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE: BBW) posted total revenue of $437 million in fiscal 2006. For more information, call 888.560.BEAR (2327) or visit the company's award-winning Web sites at www.buildabear.com and www.friends2bmade.com.

The Homeless Families Foundation
The Homeless Families Foundation provides shelter, support, stability and nurturing for homeless children and their families as they prepare to acquire and maintain permanent housing. The shelter's vision is to be a catalyst in breaking the cycle of homelessness and poverty by empowering families' independence through resource connections, skill development, permanent housing options and educational opportunities. The staff and volunteers at the Dowd Education Center provide educational and enrichment programs for homeless children from HFF, other shelters and at risk children from Columbus Public Schools. For more information, call 614.461.9247 or visit the foundation's website at www.homelessfamiliesfoundation.org.

KaBOOM!
KaBOOM! is a national nonprofit organization that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. Over the past decade, KaBOOM! has used its innovative community-build model to bring together business and community interests to construct over 1,100 new playgrounds, skateparks, sports fields and ice rinks across North America. KaBOOM! also offers a variety of resources, including a web portal and online community, regional and national trainings, grants and publications for communities that wish to plan a new playspace on their own. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., KaBOOM! also has offices in Chicago, Atlanta and San Mateo, CA. For more information, visit www.kaboom.org.

TRADEMARKS
We would like to thank you for your interest in covering our business. As you write your story, we would ask that you use our full name: Build-A-Bear Workshop® and that when referencing the process of making stuffed animals you use the word “make” not “build.”

Build A Bear Workshop is our well-known trade name and our registered trademark of Build A Bear Retail Management, Inc.

Build A Bear Workshop® should only be used in capital letters to refer to our products and services and should not be used as a verb.

CONTACT:
Wendy Bain
Build-A-Bear Workshop®
314.323.5835

Margie Hall
KaBOOM!
202.464.6165

Casey Clark
HFF
614.734.1943