Buildabearville.com(R) Recognized for Online Safety and Responsibility
ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 25, 2009--
The Build-A-Bear Workshop® online community at
Buildabearville.com® today received a ‘Best of the Web’ award
from WiredSafety at the 9th Annual WiredKids Summit.
“We are honored to have our efforts recognized by WiredSafety today,”
said Build-A-Bear Workshop Chairman and Chief Executive Bear Maxine
Clark. “As a Company that is all about children and families, child
safety is paramount to us – we stand with parents to help ensure that
virtual world sites are a safe and fun place to play. From the initial
launch of our virtual world, we have reached out to parents, other
sites, technology experts and industry associations to review, discuss
and design a safe online play space.”
The WiredKids Best of the Web award winners are chosen by more than
50,000 students who nominated their favorite sites for review. For this
year’s awards, thousands of sites received nominations, but only 143
qualified for parental review. WiredSafety’s team of parents narrowed
the nominations list to 62 finalists and just 14 sites made the final
cut to receive the 2009 WiredKids Best of the Web award.
Build-A-Bear Workshop Chief Information Officer Dave Finnegan, who
attended the WiredKids Summit today, commented, “Our virtual world was
carefully created to reflect the core values of Build-A-Bear Workshop.
The site allows children to have fun as they grow their friendships and
learn about being an active participant in the community. We appreciate
WiredSafety’s recognition of our efforts to ensure a safe virtual
environment for kids that also lets them discover and learn.”
WiredSafety Founder and Executive Director Parry Aftab said,
“Build-A-Bear Workshop is firmly committed to children’s safety. Since
launching Buildabearville.com®, the Company has taken a
leadership role in the development of safe, fun and interactive online
play. We welcome Build-A-Bearville™ to the awards summit this year and
look forward to continuing to work with them to promote safe and fun
online play for children.”
The 2009 WiredKids Best of the Web awards presentation takes place
today, during the 9th Annual WiredKids Summit, which begins
at 9:00 a.m. EST at the Dirksen Senate Building in Washington, DC. The
event is hosted entirely by WiredSafety’s Teenangels (ages 13-18) and
Tweenangels (ages 7-12), the award-winning teen and preteen cyber
experts in WiredSafety’s program. WiredSafety.org is the largest and
oldest online safety, education and help group in the world.
During the WiredKids Summit today, the Teenangels and Tweenangels also
are presenting research findings on expanding and enhancing the Internet
for kids. Throughout the year, these exceptional kids work with leading
companies and governmental entities as part of the Teenangels and
Tweenangels mission to help everyone be safer online, on cell phones and
on gaming devices. The companies who collaborate with them have
benefited from their unique understanding of what teens and tweens do
online, and what they want from the Web.
About Build-A-Bearville™
Build-A-Bear Workshop is the first company with both real world stores
and a virtual world experience. In buildabearville.com, citizens
are able to create a unique character, decorate their own Cub Condo™
home, participate in games and quests and learn about giving back to the
community. Membership to the site is free and does not expire. Today,
over 7.8 million unique users are registered on buildabearville.com.
Build-A-Bear Workshop encourages parent and Guest involvement in its
Buildabearville.com® online community. The Company formed a
Parent Advisory Panel in 1997 when the Company opened its first
Build-A-Bear Workshop store. The Panel – a parent group that from time
to time is asked to review and give input on products, services and
online features – has been a source of important input for the
Build-A-Bearville™.
In addition, the Company launched an online Jr. CyBearGuide™ program in
buildabearville.com in October 2008. The program allows qualified
members of the community to act as guides by answering questions,
providing information and giving tours. Each Jr. CybearGuide’s avatar
receives a unique Jr. CyBearGuide Cap – a blue hat with a star – to help
distinguish them within the online community and let others know that
they are there to help and answer questions. Jr. CyBearGuides also lend
their opinions and suggestions on improvements that can be made to the
buildabearville.com Web site.
About Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc.
Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. is the only global company that offers an
interactive make-your-own stuffed animal retail-entertainment
experience. The Company currently operates more than 400 Build-A-Bear
Workshop stores worldwide, including company-owned stores in the U.S.,
Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and France, and
franchise stores in Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa. Founded in St.
Louis in 1997, Build-A-Bear Workshop is the leader in interactive
retail. Brands include make-your-own Major League Baseball® mascot
in-stadium locations, Build-A-Dino® stores and friends 2B made® doll
locations. In December 2007, Build-A-Bear Workshop extended its in-store
interactive experience online with the launch of its virtual world at www.buildabearville.com.
Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE: BBW) posted total revenue of $468 million
in fiscal 2008. 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.
About WiredSafety
WiredSafety.org is
a 501(c) (3) charity and the largest and oldest online safety,
education, and help group in the world. Originating in 1995 as a group
of volunteers rating websites, it now provides one-to-one help,
extensive information, and education to cyberspace users of all ages on
a myriad of Internet and interactive technology safety issues. These
services are offered through a worldwide organization comprised entirely
of volunteers who administer specialized websites and programs.
WiredSafety.org adult
volunteers range in age from 18 to 80 and run the gamut from TV
personalities, teachers, law enforcement officers, PhD's, writers and
librarians to stay-at-home moms, retired persons, and students. Its
Teenangels program involves 13 – 18 year olds and its Tweenangels
involves 7–12 year olds who train to become cybersafety experts in their
own right. WiredSafety.org’s founder and Executive Director, cyberlawyer
Parry Aftab, is also an unpaid volunteer. With the exception of its
Teenangels, outreach, law enforcement training and speaking programs,
all work and help is provided online and free of charge.
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 Workshopis 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.
Source: Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc.
Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc.
Jill Saunders
314-423-8000,
ext. 5293
314-422-4523 (cell)
jills@buildabear.com
or
WiredSafety.org
Parry
Aftab
201-463-8663 (cell)
parry@aftab.com
