Press Release

Over $100,000 Raised to Help Teachers and Students
 in Raleigh and Beyond Through DonorsChoose.org

RALEIGH, N.C. (March 5, 2009) –Build-A-Bear Workshop® and the Build-A-Bear Workshop Foundation are demonstrating their support for teachers and youth education by inviting others to celebrate learning and the importance of teachers in the lives of their students by designating March, Hug-A-Teacher Month. To date, the Build-A-Bear Workshop partnership with DonorsChoose.org, combined with a challenge fund established by Company Founder Maxine Clark, has raised over $100,000 to help teachers and students in the Raleigh area and across the country. 

Kicking off Hug-A-Teacher Month, Build-A-Bear Workshop® is spotlighting teachers who have received “You have been bear hugged”grants through the Build-A-Bear Workshop Foundation’s partnership with DonorsChoose.org. These “hug” grants illustrate the importance of student learning in subjects such as science, math and English.

The recently funded “You have been bear hugged” projects, which were originally posted by teachers at DonorsChoose.org, include a grant to provide science resources – including smocks, an ant farm, science goggles, bug boxes and color paddles – to kindergarten students in Raleigh. The hands-on materials will enable the students to discover the wonders of science and develop their curiosity for a lifetime of learning.

Introducing the month of cele-bear-ation for education, Maxine Clark said, “I was fortunate enough to have public school teachers who were amazing role models. They inspired and encouraged me to find my passion and follow my dreams. Great teachers are one of the reasons I am who I am today. Making a difference in the life of a child through education is a wonderful gift and a great way to give back to the teachers who made a difference for me. DonorsChoose.org supports and energizes teachers and our partnership with donorschoose.org is a great example of the power of WE”.
Charles Best, founder of DonorsChoose.org, commented, “Supporting teachers is a tremendous way to create new learning opportunities for kids in the classroom. Build-A-Bear Workshop has been a great partner and leader by helping us get the word out about our organization and by sharing its impact with others. In fact, since we began our partnership in November, awareness of DonorsChoose.org has grown and Build-A-Bear Workshop along with its virtual world, Buildabearville.com, have been the primary drivers of new visitors to our site.”

Build-A-Bear Workshop® has always had a strong commitment to leave a pawsitive mark on the world. Throughout its 11-year history the Company has given Guests a voice to support causes that are important, helping children, animals and the environment, sharing the hug of a teddy bear wherever needed in their communities and abroad, and recognizing kids doing great things. The Company has already donated over $20 million to these causes.

About Build-A-Bear Workshop

Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. is the leading and only global company that offers an interactive make-your-own stuffed animal retail-entertainment experience. Founded in 1997, the Company currently operates more than 400 Build-A-Bear Workshop® stores worldwide, including Company-owned stores in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and France, and franchise stores in Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa.  In 2007, the interactive experience was enhanced - all the way to CyBEAR® space - with the launch of Buildabearville.com®, the Company’s virtual world stuffed with fun. 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

About the Build-A-Bear Workshop Foundation
The Build-A-Bear Workshop Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization committed to improving communities and impacting lives through unique philanthropic programs that help children and families, animals and the environment. The Foundation is funded through the sale of purple satin hearts ($1 each) sold in all of our stores.  For more information about the Foundation and other Build-A-Bear Workshop® giving programs visit the Community Involvement section of the company’s Web site at www.buildabear.com.

About DonorsChoose.org

DonorsChoose.org is an organization committed to bettering the lives of children across the nation by supporting public schools. This nonprofit addresses the scarcity and inequitable distribution of learning materials and experiences in schools by connecting individual classroom needs with donors from across the country. Any individual can search projects by areas of interest, learn about classroom needs, and choose to either partially or fully fund a compelling project.

No matter their contribution size, all donors are treated to a level of service normally reserved for established philanthropists. This includes meaningful choice, full accountability, and portfolio
services. Whether making a contribution of $10 or $1,000, an individual can choose to support the specific project that he or she finds most compelling and know that their dollars were spent as directed.
Nationwide, DonorsChoose.org has enabled over $30 million in contributions to public school classrooms, and more than 1.8 million students have felt the impact of more than 115,000 generous individuals.

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:
Jill Saunders                                      
314-423-8000 ext. 5293                     
314-422-4523 (cell)                            
jills@buildabear.com         

Shannon Lammert                                      
314-423-8000 ext. 5379            
314-566-8841 (cell)                   
shannonl@buildabear.com