Press Release

Build-A-Bear Workshop® Selects Outstanding Youth as Huggable HeroesSM - Heroes will receive national spotlight in 2005 Huggable Heroes calendar

ST.LOUIS, MO (Sept. 8, 2004) - Build-A-Bear Workshop announced today ten young individuals and five groups of kids, ages 9 to 17, have been selected as Build-A-Bear Workshop Huggable Heroes for 2004. These exceptional young people were chosen from nearly 400 nominations and will be honored for serving others in their communities.

The 2004 Huggable Heroes created distinctive programs and personally spent hundreds of hours to support causes such as children's health and wellness, literacy and education, domestic pet programs and endangered animals and their habitats. Other heroes created programs for the elderly, collected toys for teens in need and collected school supplies, books, toys and shoes for children in Iraq.

The heroes were nominated by individuals (friends, family members, teachers and others) who observed the heroes' hard work and felt they deserved to be recognized in a special way. Denise Reiss Loftus nominated her 10-year-old daughter, Dominique, to honor and celebrate her passion for endangered animals. "I know she has truly cared more about this cause than I could imagine," she said. "She is a kind little girl with a very big heart."

Brooke Robison, age 16 from Layton, UT, and Rachael Lambin age 14, from Gardnerville, NV, earned top Huggable Heroes honors. Brooke developed a "Toys for Teens" program with the U.S. Marine Corps and Rachael's "Kids Helping Kids" asthma camps were created especially for children with respirators and medicines. Brooke has been awarded a trip to New York City and Rachael a trip to Los Angeles.

Operation Iraqi Friendship, a group devoted to helping enrich the lives of children in Iraq, took top honors in the group division. The group collected over $10,000 in school supplies, toys and toiletries for the children in Iraq, and then gathered shoes and clothing upon finding out that many Iraqi children needed even these most basic necessities. "We have always believed that it takes a village to raise a bear and these young people are shining examples of what hard work and commitment can accomplish. We are extremely proud of them, the leadership they have demonstrated and the ways in which they have improved the lives of those in their community," said Maxine Clark, Founder and Chief Executive Bear of Build-A-Bear Workshop®. "Each child and group presents an inspirational story, and along with those who nominated them, we are honored to be able to recognize their efforts and dedication to the causes and programs they have supported. They are all truly amazing."

Additional Huggable Heroessm include:

Children's Health and Wellness
Erin Rosen-Watson, age 16 - Natick, MA
Kids Kart, Inc. - Gardnerville, NV

Literacy and Education
Jennifer Titche, age 11 - Ada, MI
Shannon Mitchell, age 16 - Findlay, OH
3rd Grade Charlemagne at Fox Hollow - Eugene, OR

Helping Pets
Yana Holden, age 9 - Pelham, NH
Zachary Williams, age 10 - Palm Bay, FL
The Jolly Rogers Crew at Meadow Gates Farm Sanctuary - Wasilla, AK

Endangered Animals and their Habitats
Dominique Loftus, age 10 - Irvine, CA
Stephanie Cohen, age 12 - Colleyville, TX
Kids Making a Difference - Colleyville, TX

Other Cause
William Dunckelman, age 14 - Houma, LA

Each of the 10 individual Huggable Heroes and the five groups named as Huggable Heroes will be showcased nationally in the 2005 Build-A-Bear Workshop Huggable Heroes calendar, which will be available free of charge in all Build-A-Bear Workshop® stores in late December. Build-A-Bear Workshop is also making a donation in honor of each hero to the cause they support. Additionally, the company is working with each hero and will celebrate their achievement in their respective communities.

About Build-A-Bear Workshop®
Build-A-Bear Workshop is an interactive, entertainment mall-based retailer that invites Guests of all ages to create their own customized stuffed animals through an exciting bear-making process. The first store opened in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1997, and the company now operates over 160 locations in the USA with four stores in Canada. Build-A-Bear Workshop opened its first international store in Sheffield, England in the fall of 2003 and recently opened stores in Japan, Korea and Denmark. The company is on track to open more international stores this year including its first store in France and Australia, making it the global leader in the teddy bear business. Based on a survey compiled by Shopping Centers Today, a publication of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), Build-A-Bear Workshop was one of six retailers chosen and presented with the ICSC "2004 Hot Retailer Award". For more information on the company and its products call (877) 789-BEAR (2327) or visit the company's award-winning web site at www.buildabear.com.