Build-A-Bear Workshop® Supports Youth Education Through DonorsChoose.org

Funding  for Classrooms across America

ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Build-A-Bear Workshop^®, the interactive entertainment retailer of customized stuffed animals, announced today that it will raise funds for DonorsChoose.org in support of teachers and youth education nationwide. Now through September 6, the company is inviting Guests to donate $1 at checkout registers towards this cause at any Build-A-Bear Workshop retail location in the United States. DonorsChoose.org is an organization committed to bettering the lives of children by providing funds to public school teachers for classroom projects.

“Build-A-Bear Workshop has been a tremendous help in supporting teachers’ classrooms and spreading the word about giving opportunities with our organization”

“At Build-A-Bear Workshop, we believe that every child should have a quality education and every teacher should have the resources necessary to provide this to all of their students,” said Maxine Clark, founder and chief executive bear of Build-A-Bear Workshop. “That is why we are so happy to be partnering with DonorsChoose.org yet again to give our Guests the opportunity to support youth education and make a difference in children’s lives.”

Guests can also celebrate learning by giving back online at buildabearville.com^®, the Build-A-Bear Workshop virtual world. Guests who purchase Build-A-Bearville® game cards can direct 5% of the purchase price to support DonorsChoose.org. Inside Build-A-Bearville, the Bearville Times will also feature a story highlighting past efforts of Build-A-Bear Workshop and its foundation to support children’s education.

“Build-A-Bear Workshop has been a tremendous help in supporting teachers’ classrooms and spreading the word about giving opportunities with our organization,” said Charles Best, founder of DonorsChoose.org. “We are thankful to Build-A-Bear Workshop and their Guests for helping us improve children’s education nationwide.”

Build-A-Bear Workshop encourages public school teachers to register with DonorsChoose.org. Teachers simply submit a request for the resources they need for a classroom project and DonorsChoose.org gives individuals the ability to donate to the projects they are interested in. For more information, visit a Build-A-Bear Workshop location or DonorsChoose.org.

About DonorsChoose.org

Founded in 2000, DonorsChoose.org is a nonprofit website where public school teachers describe specific educational projects for their students, and donors can choose the projects they want to support. After completing a project, the donor hears back from the classroom they supported in the form of photographs and student thank-you letters.

To date, 133,000 public and charter school teachers have used the site to secure funding for $54 million in books, art supplies, technology, and other resources that their students need to learn. Through www.donorschoose.org individuals from all walks of life have helped 3.3 million students from low-income families.

About Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc.

Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. is the only global company that offers an interactive make-your-own stuffed animal retail-entertainment experience. The company currently operates more than 400 Build-A-Bear Workshop stores worldwide, including company-owned stores in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and France, and franchise stores in Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, the Middle East, and Mexico. Founded in St. Louis in 1997, Build-A-Bear Workshop is the leader in interactive retail. Brands include make-your-own Major League Baseball^® mascot in-stadium locations, and Build-A-Dino^® stores. Build-A-Bear Workshop extends its in-store interactive experience online with its award winning virtual world Web site at buildabearville.com^®. The company was named to the 2009 and 2010 FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For^® lists. Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE: BBW) posted total revenue of $394.4 million in fiscal 2009. For more information, call 888.560.BEAR (2327) or visit the company's award-winning Web site at buildabear.com^®.

Parental permission may be required to access buildabearville.com. Visit buildabearville.com for details.

We would like to thank you for your interest in covering our business. As you write your story, we would ask that you use our full Name: Build-A-Bear Workshop^® and that when referencing the process of making stuffed animals you use the word “make” not “build.”

Build-A-Bear Workshop is our well-known trade name and our registered trademark of Build-A-Bear Retail Management, Inc. Build-A-Bear Workshop^® should only be used in capital letters to refer to our products and services and should not be used as a verb.