Build-A-Bear® And American Red Cross Partner To Give Thousands Of Furry Friends To Children Of Families In Crisis In 2019
Build-A-Bear® Kicks off Month-long Fundraising Campaign with a Nationwide In-store Event on Saturday, May 4; Invites Public to Help Make Furry Friends to be Donated to Red Cross
ST. LOUIS, April 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- For the third consecutive year, Build-A-Bear® and the American Red Cross are partnering to provide bear hugs to families when disaster strikes. The American Red Cross will receive a donation from Build-A-Bear of several thousand furry friends, which the Red Cross organization will distribute during disaster-relief operations throughout the year. Additionally, from May 2 through May 29, Guests of Build-A-Bear Workshop® can donate to the nonprofit organization at checkout in stores and online. All donations will go directly to the American Red Cross to help support children of families recovering from disasters. To kick off the 2019 campaign, Build-A-Bear Workshop is hosting a "Stuffed With Hugs®" event at all U.S. stores on Saturday, May 4, during which Guests can make furry friends free of charge to be donated to the Red Cross.
"Thanks to our partners at the Red Cross, who make sure critical needs are met first—and our generous Guests—thousands of children and families will have the hug of a teddy bear to help comfort them in the wake of an unfortunate event," said Sharon Price John, president and chief executive officer, Build-A-Bear Workshop. "We invite Guests across the country to once again join us to make bears for families in crisis, in the spirit of the Build-A-Bear mission to add a little more heart to life."
Last year, Red Cross disaster workers—90 percent of whom were volunteers—helped millions of people during the second consecutive year of a record number of wildfires, hurricanes and other large crises—all while responding day and night to home fires in communities across the country.
"Every eight minutes in the U.S., disasters big and small occur, and families often lose all of their belongings, including keepsake items and children's toys," said Brad Kieserman, vice president, Disaster Services Operations and Logistics at the American Red Cross. "The Red Cross is honored to continue to partner with Build-A-Bear in an effort to give teddy bears to children in distress and offer a little comfort as families begin to rebuild their lives."
All Build-A-Bear furry friends made during the May 4 "Stuffed with Hugs" event will be allocated to five Red Cross Disaster Field Supply Centers in Reno, Nev.; St. Louis, Mo.; Carlisle, Penn.; Atlanta, Ga.; and Dallas, Texas, from which the organization can quickly access and distribute to children as needs arise.
Once again, Build-A-Bear Workshop is expanding the partnership and "Stuffed With Hugs" event on a global scale. In 2019, Build-A-Bear will also donate teddy bears to the Irish Red Cross and will host events at the Build-A-Bear Workshop stores in Dublin on May 11, where Guests can help make bears that will be donated to children served by the organization.
For more information about Build-A-Bear Foundation and the company's charitable giving efforts, visit buildabear.com/giving.
About Build-A-Bear®
Build-A-Bear® is a global brand kids love and parents trust that seeks to add a little more heart to life. Build-A-Bear Workshop has over 450 stores worldwide where Guests can create customizable furry friends, including corporately-managed stores in the United States, Canada, China, Denmark, Ireland, Puerto Rico, and the United Kingdom, and franchise stores in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Mexico and the Middle East. Buildabear.com is the online destination for unique furry-friend gifts, featuring The-Bear-Builder™, a shopping configurator that helps create customized gift options. Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE:BBW) posted total revenue of $336.6 million in fiscal 2018.
About Build-A-Bear Foundation™
Build-A-Bear® believes in the power of hugs and the simple comfort of having a furry friend by your side. The mission of Build-A-Bear Foundation™ is to add a little more heart to life by sharing hugs and making days a little bit brighter for those in need. Since 1997, Build-A-Bear has donated nearly $50 million to a variety of organizations and in a number of ways. Build-A-Bear Foundation supports nonprofit organizations and registered charities that are doing good work in the communities where our Guests and associates live, work and play. For more information, visit buildabear.com/giving.
About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
SOURCE Build-A-Bear
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