Borders Hosts Holiday Charity Drive with Build-A-Bear Workshop®

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Nov. 5, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Borders today announced that it is teaming with Build-A-Bear Workshop® for a holiday charity drive to benefit children in need. Now through Dec. 24, customers shopping at Borders stores nationwide will have the opportunity to donate books and stuffed animals, including Hal Moose®, a Build-A-Bear Workshop furry friend with soft brown fur and antlers. Hal Moose is the star of "Holly & Hal Moose™: Our Uplifting Christmas Adventure," a book and DVD available at Borders. Each Borders store will deliver the books and stuffed toys to a local charity.  In addition, Borders will kickoff the holiday charity drive by promising to donate $50,000 to First Book, which provides new books to children in need, addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy — access to books.

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Build-A-Bear Workshop gives to First Book on a regular basis: currently for every purchase of Turner Owl™, the company donates 50 cents to First Book to provide new books to children from low-income families. In addition, the retailer also donates 50 cents to the Build-A-Bear Workshop Bear Hugs Foundation to support other literacy and education programs.

During Borders' company-sponsored book drives held this year in March and August, respectively, stores partnered with hundreds of charities and nonprofits, and through the generosity of customers, delivered more than 1.3 million books and stuffed toys to children in need. Reach Out and Read Michigan, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Rainbow House in Chicago, Raising a Reader Massachusetts, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego are among many charities who have recently received books and toys from Borders.

About First Book

First Book provides new books to children in need addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy – access to books. An innovative leader in social enterprise, First Book has distributed more than 75 million free and low-cost books in thousands of communities. First Book has offices in the U.S. and Canada. For more information please visit www.firstbook.org.    

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 ®.

About Borders Group, Inc.

Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., through its subsidiaries, Borders Group, Inc. (NYSE: BGP) is a leading specialty retailer of books as well as other educational and entertainment items. The company employs approximately 19,500 throughout the U.S., primarily in its Borders® and Waldenbooks® stores. Online shopping is offered through borders.com. Find author interviews and vibrant discussions of the products we and our customers are passionate about online at facebook.com/borders, twitter.com/borders and youtube.com/bordersmedia. For more information about the company, visit borders.com/media.

SOURCE Borders