ST. LOUIS, Oct. 10, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of the
company's 20th Birthday, Build-A-Bear today announced a
donation of 20,000 teddy bears that will be distributed among two
dozen children's hospitals across the
United States. Volunteer coordination for the nationwide
donation is powered by United Way, and UPS is serving as the
official logistics and shipping partner. Teddy bear deliveries have
already begun to hospitals from coast to coast, including:
- Boston Children's Hospital (Boston, Mass.)
- SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital (St.
Louis)
- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston (Atlanta)
- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Hughes Spalding
(Atlanta)
- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite
(Atlanta)
- Children's Hospital Colorado (Aurora, Colo.)
- Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC (Pittsburgh)
- Children's Medical Center Dallas (Dallas)
- Children's Mercy (Kansas City, Mo.)
- Children's Minnesota (Minneapolis)
- Children's National Health System (Washington D.C.)
- Levine Children's Hospital (Charlotte, N.C.)
- Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford (Palo Alto,
Calif.)
- Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt (Nashville,
Tenn.)
- NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital (New
York)
- Nationwide Children's Hospital (Columbus, Ohio)
- Nicklaus Children's Hospital (Miami)
- Phoenix Children's Hospital (Phoenix)
- Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital (St. Louis)
- Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health (Indianapolis)
- Seattle Children's Hospital (Seattle)
- Shriners Hospital for Children St. Louis (St. Louis)
- St. Louis Children's Hospital (St. Louis)
- Texas Children's Hospital (Houston)
The initiative will culminate with a special delivery to
patients at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital
in New York City by Build-A-Bear
Workshop President and Chief Executive Officer Sharon Price John on Thursday, October 26, the day before the
company's 20th Birthday.
The donation was funded by Build-A-Bear Foundation to
commemorate the past 20 years of giving and to introduce a new
charitable focus as it looks toward the future.
"Since 1997, Build-A-Bear has donated nearly $50 million in funds and furry friends to a
variety of organizations," said Sharon
John, president and CEO, Build-A-Bear Workshop. "We have
always believed in the power of hugs and the simple comfort of
having a furry friend by your side. Starting in November,
Build-A-Bear Foundation will turn its focus to giving efforts that
support the well-being of children through opportunities to make
their days a little bit brighter. The delivery of tens of thousands
of teddy bears to deserving patients at some of our country's best
hospitals would not have been possible without the generous support
of our partners at United Way and UPS."
Nearly 100 volunteers are helping to make the bear deliveries
happen thanks to tireless coordination and support from United Way
and HandsOn Network organizations located near the hospitals.
"United Way is excited to celebrate this milestone anniversary
with Build-A-Bear, alongside UPS, through this donation," said
Orvin Kimbrough, president and CEO,
United Way of Greater St. Louis.
"We look forward to continuing our long-time partnership, working
together to support child well-being and help people in communities
across the country."
Each teddy bear is accompanied by a personal message
hand-written by representatives of Build-A-Bear, United Way and
UPS. The finished bears were packaged with care by Build-A-Bear
associates at the company's Bearhouse in Groveport, Ohio. Dedicated teams of UPS
drivers will make sure the furry friends journey safely and quickly
to every corner of the country.
"A child's smile can be the most telling sign you've made a
positive impact in their life," said David
Hopkins, director of marketing and United Way coordinator
for UPS. "UPS enjoys making a difference in our communities,
including supporting the United Way as one of its largest givers.
We're honored to extend that relationship by helping Build-A-Bear
Foundation deliver some happiness to children while they're
receiving treatment in their local hospitals."
To learn more about the mission of Build-A-Bear Foundation,
visit buildabear.com/giving. For more information
about Build-A-Bear, visit buildabear.com and follow
the brand
on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.
About Build-A-Bear
Celebrating 20 years of business in
2017, 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 approximately 400 stores worldwide where Guests
can create customizable furry friends, including company-owned
stores in the United
States, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Puerto Rico,
the United Kingdom and China, and franchise stores
in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Mexico and
the Middle East. The company was named to the Fortune 100 Best
Companies to Work For® list for the ninth year in a
row in 2017. Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE:BBW)
posted a total revenue of $364.2 million in fiscal 2016.
For more information, visit buildabear.com.
About United Way Worldwide
United Way fights for
the health, education and financial stability of every person in
every community. Supported by 2.8 million volunteers, 9.8 million
donors worldwide, and more than $4.7
billion raised every year, United Way is the world's largest
privately-funded nonprofit. We're engaged in nearly 1,800
communities across more than 40 countries and territories worldwide
to create sustainable solutions to the challenges facing our
communities. United Way partners include global, national and local
businesses, nonprofits, government, civic and faith-based
organizations, along with educators, labor leaders, health
providers, senior citizens, students and more. For more information
about United Way, please visit UnitedWay.org.
About UPS
UPS (NYSE: UPS) is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad
range of solutions including transporting packages and freight;
facilitating international trade, and deploying advanced technology
to more efficiently manage the world of business. Headquartered in
Atlanta, UPS serves more than 220
countries and territories worldwide. The company can be found on
the web at ups.com® or pressroom.ups.com and its
corporate blog can be found at longitudes.ups.com. To get UPS
news direct, follow @UPS_News on Twitter.
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SOURCE Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc.