ST. LOUIS, June 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Building on an
initial $300,000 donation late last
year to Canine Companions for Independence in honor of the
retailer's 20th Birthday in 2017, Build-A-Bear® today
announced a fundraising campaign to help provide even more Canine
Companions® service dogs to children with disabilities. For every
Promise Pets™ furry friend made in U.S. Build-A-Bear Workshop®
stores or at buildabear.com June 28 through
August 8, Build-A-Bear will donate $1 (up to $50,000)
to Canine Companions to provide assistance dogs to kids as they
graduate the organization's professional training program.
"At Build-A-Bear Workshop, we believe that having a furry friend
by your side—whether it's a teddy bear, a pet, or an assistance
dog—can bring comfort and provide support in times of need," said
Emily Fuhrman, manager of
foundations and giving, Build-A-Bear Workshop. "Over the last two
decades, we have supported many organizations that promote healthy
relationships between pets and their human best friends, including
a one-time gift to Canine Companions in honor of our
20th Birthday last year, which is helping to provide
assistance dogs for 30 children with disabilities. We are honored
to continue our partnership with Canine Companions and invite the
public to participate in a nationwide campaign to help more
children in need."
Canine Companions assistance dogs are trained by the nonprofit
organization to serve as the "ears, hands and legs" of their human
partners, with the ability to understand 40 commands and perform
tasks such as turning on lights, opening doors and pulling their
partner in a wheelchair. The dogs also provide social support as
their partners learn to interact with them and utilize all of their
capabilities. The assistance dog training program culminates in a
graduation ceremony that is held for the dogs and their puppy
raisers, and celebrated with the dogs' soon-to-be human
partners.
"Canine Companions assistance dogs help kids with disabilities
have more independence to do the things that all children love to
do," said Jeanine Konopelski,
director of marketing at Canine Companions. "Our assistance dogs
can pick up dropped toys, help during medical therapies, assist
with daily chores and build confidence. Build-A-Bear and the
Promise Pets campaign are helping to provide children with
independence and a four-legged best friend. Our partnership is
changing lives for children with disabilities, and we are grateful
to Build-A-Bear for their continued, generous support."
Since 1997, Build-A-Bear has donated more than $8 million in support of pets and animals,
focusing on the relationship between children, families and pets.
Through both the one-time gift to Canine Companions in 2017 and the
2018 fundraising campaign, Build-A-Bear and Build-A-Bear
Foundation™ are helping to provide assistance dogs for 35 children
with disabilities in the U.S.
Build-A-Bear is also expanding the fundraising campaign to the
U.K. in support of Guide Dogs, a nonprofit organization that aims
to empower people who are blind and partially sighted to enjoy the
same freedom of movement as others by offering guide dogs and other
mobility services. For every Promise Pets furry friend made in U.K.
Build-A-Bear Workshop stores and at buildabear.co.uk, Build-A-Bear
will donate £1 to Guide Dogs (up to £10,000).
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 400 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. In 2018, Build-A-Bear was named to the
FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For® list for the
10th year in a row. Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc.
(NYSE:BBW) posted a total revenue of $357.9
million in fiscal 2017.
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, including through Foundation
grants. 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 Canine Companions for Independence
Canine
Companions for Independence provides highly-trained assistance dogs
to children, veterans and adults with disabilities. Established in
1975, Canine Companions has six training centers across the country
in Northern CA, Southern CA, NY, OH, FL and TX. Canine Companions
is recognized worldwide for the excellence of its dogs, and the
quality and longevity of the matches it makes between dogs and
people. Since its inception, Canine Companions has placed more than
5,800 assistance dogs with people with disabilities. Give
Independence—and Give a Dog a Job®. Visit cci.org
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SOURCE Build-A-Bear