A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts, Inc. Offers a Creative Way to Help Easter Seals and Families Living with Autism

BERLIN, N.J., March 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- It may seem puzzling at first, but there's a crafty and creative way families can help people living with autism this spring. A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts, Inc. has teamed up with Easter Seals to launch an in-store campaign and crafting event that asks customers to Act for Autism® from March 1st through April 17th.

Customers who visit any A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts store during the March 1st through April 17th timeframe will be able to donate $1 to Easter Seals' Act for Autism campaign at checkout. The money raised will support Easter Seals autism services in those same local communities, giving thousands of children and adults with autism access to critical services that help them live, learn, work, and play.

At the culmination of these efforts, A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts will host free in-store "Make and Take" craft events at its 135 locations on April 17, 2010 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. EDT for children and their families. Here, customers can come into the store to decorate an Act for Autism jigsaw puzzle or go online for instructions to create one at home (www.acmoore.com or www.actforautism.org).

The campaign coincides with National Craft Month in March and National Autism Awareness Month in April, and gives customers an opportunity to express their creativity, make a personalized puzzle, learn about autism—its signs, symptoms and support through treatment—and help support families living with autism.

"It's all part of our new Crafting a Better World™ initiative," says David Abelman, Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer for A.C. Moore. "We're thrilled to have the opportunity to heighten awareness and provide an outlet for both our employees and customers to make a difference in their communities."

Why Act for Autism with A.C. Moore and Easter Seals

"We know that through early detection and individualized intervention, children with autism make significant progress," explains Dr. Patricia Wright, MPH, Ph.D., national director of autism services, Easter Seals. "The funds raised through our partnership with A.C. Moore will give more children with autism the care, guidance and support they need."

Today, one in 110 children are diagnosed with autism and there's an increasing need for funding, services and support. There's no known cause, cure or single effective treatment, but people with autism at any age can make significant progress and lead meaningful lives. Getting the right support at the earliest stage in life can help a child gain the skills he or she needs to be successful.

"A.C. Moore and Easter Seals are a great fit—we're able to combine our efforts to raise autism awareness, build community involvement and hopefully, inspire children of all abilities to find their inner artist," adds Wright.

About A.C. Moore

With 135 stores along the Eastern Seaboard, A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts, Inc. brings families together for fun through creativity. The company offers a wide range of programs to engage adults and children in crafting, including workshops, demonstrations, Make & Takes and in-store birthday parties. In addition to traditional craft products, A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts is also well-known for its selection of scrapbooking, jewelry, floral, yarn, fine art supplies, children's crafts kits and educational toys, along with ready made frames and custom framing. To locate your local A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts, visit www.acmoore.com.

About Easter Seals

Easter Seals is the leading non-profit provider of services for individuals with autism, developmental disabilities, physical disabilities and other special needs. For more than 90 years, we have been offering help and hope to children and adults living with disabilities, and to the families who love them. Through therapy, training, education and support services, Easter Seals creates life-changing solutions so that people with disabilities can live, learn, work and play. Support children and adults with disabilities at www.easterseals.com or www.actforautism.org.

SOURCE A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts, Inc.

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