ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May. 5, 2009--
During the month of May, one dollar from the sale of each stuffed dog
from the Bearemy Kennel Pals® collection available at
Build-A-Bear Workshop®, will be donated by the Build-A-Bear
Workshop Bear Hugs Foundation to Canine Companions for Independence®.
This program was inspired by Shea Megale, a thirteen-year-old with
Spinal Muscular Atrophy who has written a series of books about the
adventures of her assistance dog, Mercer, to raise funds for Canine
Companions for Independence. The organization matches highly trained
assistance dogs with children and adults with disabilities and placed
Mercer with Shea in 2004.
“Shea is a heroic young woman that is dedicated to raising awareness
about the valuable role of assistance dogs,” said Maxine Clark, founder
and chief executive bear of Build-A-Bear Workshop. “Build-A-Bear
Workshop strives to support causes that are important to Guests and Shea
has motivated us to help Canine Companions for Independence. “
In April of 2008, Shea made her debut at buildabearville.com®,
the Build-A-Bear Workshop online world, along with her assistance dog,
Mercer. While visiting Build-A-Bearville™, Shea and Mercer met citizens
of the virtual world with the goal of encouraging them to make a
difference in their community and beyond.
From May 18 to May 31, Shea and Mercer will return to Build-A-Bearville,
back by popular demand. Shea will be appearing on The Chloe Show to be
interviewed by ChloeRocks™, the avatar spokesperson for
Build-A-Bearville and to discuss her cause. Guests who watch Shea’s
interview will receive a FREE virtual gift. Inspired by Mercer and all
assistance dogs, Guests of buildabearville.com® can visit the
gymnasium to teach their virtual furry friends to do three new moves by
playing minigames. After Guests earn all three moves, they can continue
to play and earn Bear Bills® to shop for virtual
Build-A-Bearville stuff.
About Canine Companions for Independence
Canine Companions for Independence is the largest non-profit provider of
trained assistance dogs with five regional training centers across the
country. Established in 1975, Canine Companions provides highly trained
assistance dogs to children and adults with disabilities and is
recognized worldwide for the excellence of its dogs, and quality and
longevity of the matches it makes between dogs and people. There is no
charge for the dog, its training and on-going follow-up services. For
more information, visit cci.org
or call 1-800-572-BARK.
About Build-A-Bear Workshop Bear Hugs Foundation
Build-A-Bear Workshop Bear Hugs Foundationis committed to
making life more bearable for children, families, and pets in need of a
helping paw. The Foundation makes grants to qualified non-profit
organization that support the health and wellness of children and
families, the care and welfare of animals, the preservation of the
environment, and the promotion of literary and education for all. Visit www.buildabear.com
for more information.
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 and its franchisees currently
operate 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. The company was named to the 2009 FORTUNE 100 Best Companies
to Work For® list. 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 site at www.buildabear.com.
Parental permission may be required for Buildabearville.com. Visit
Buildabearville.com for details.
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.
Source: Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc.
Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc.
Shannon Lammert, 314-423-8000 ext 5379
314-566-8841
shannonl@buildabear.com
or
Jill
Saunders, 314-423-8000 ext 5293
314-422-4523
jills@buildabear.com