ZhuZhu Pets® and Digital Moms Team Up to Give Back to Charities Across the Country During the Holidays

ST. LOUIS, Nov. 1, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- ZhuZhu Pets®, the 2010 "Toy of the Year" that have taken over the hearts of kids everywhere, are now taking over the blogosphere and zhu-ooming into the holiday season with the spirit of giving. This December, Cepia LLC, the makers of ZhuZhu Pets® are spreading joy to children across the country by providing 100 bloggers with 100 ZhuZhu Pets® and accessories to be donated to their charity of choice.  

"We are  excited to be able to share the fun, happiness and love that ZhuZhu Pets® bring to children, especially those facing a variety of challenges," said Russ Hornsby, CEO, Cepia LLC. "Whether for their sheer entertainment value, or through their perceived likeness to real pets, ZhuZhu Pets® have been extremely lucky to find meaning in the lives of children everywhere. By working with bloggers, we have a unique opportunity to engage local communities while touching the lives of children with hours of magical playtime."

The toy donations aim to spread holiday cheer through Cepia's charitable giving program, Random Acts of Zhu (RAZ), and to inspire others to participate in charitable acts this holiday season. RAZ was initiated in 2009 and has been responsible for bringing thousands of ZhuZhu Pets® to pediatric hospitals across America during Cepia's "Christmas in July" toy drops. Last holiday season ZhuZhu Pets® initiated its "Santa's Helpers Program," spurring the delivery of ZhuZhu Pets® to eager children on Christmas morning in order to fulfill Santa's promise to deliver the number one toy on every child's wish list.

ZhuZhu Pets® became the No. 1 toy for children last holiday season and have gone on to be named the 2010 "Toy of the Year." ZhuZhu Pets® engage children and their imaginations for hours just like real hamsters, but without the maintenance and mess. They dart around, scurry from place to place and make unique sounds and noises. Children have the opportunity to build, change and rearrange their hamster habitats for a unique, interactive play experience every time.

"Social media and the support of digital moms have played a key part in our growing success," said Natalie Hornsby, Vice President of Marketing, Cepia LLC. "We love working with these bloggers and know that they are uniquely positioned to identify the areas of greatest need in their communities. For this first year of the program, we are working with a smaller group of bloggers, and hope that this initiative can blossom to be even bigger in years to come."

About ZhuZhu Pets

ZhuZhu Pets are innovative, realistic, interactive, plush, and artificially intelligent hamsters that talk and move around in their own playsets. ZhuZhu Pets include two play modes: nurturing mode where the hamsters coo and purr and adventure mode where the hamsters explore their habitat with intelligent audio and mechanical responses to various habitat stimuli. Add-on accessories can be purchased to build an ever-evolving habitat for your pet to play in and explore. ZhuZhu Pets expanded its product line with the addition of ZhuZhu Rock Stars, ZhuZhu Wild Bunch and Kung Zhu, the first ZhuZhu Pets specifically designed to appeal to boys. Powered by 2 AAA batteries (included), both ZhuZhu Pets and Kung Zhu are suitable for ages 4 and up. For more information, please visit www.zhuzhupets.com and www.kungzhu.com.

About Cepia LLC

Headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., Cepia LLC is a privately held company that manufactures toys and games for children of all ages. The company was founded on the premise that sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Ingenuity, creativity, playfulness, and passion are the heart of Cepia and everything it creates. Cepia's toy building enterprises include: Glo-e, a light-up plush bear, Hydro Max, a motorized water blaster, Sky Raptors, and their newest venture ZhuZhu Pets. ZhuZhu Pets has become an international sensation by combining realistic interaction with a fun, imaginative, interactive play design. In 2010 ZhuZhu Pets received top awards in three categories at the 10th annual Toy Industry Association Toy of the Year Awards, including the 2010 "Toy of the Year." ZhuZhu Pets also took home awards for "Girl Toy of the Year" and "Innovative Toy of the Year." ZhuZhu Pets, their Zhu-niverse of accessories, and other toys from Cepia LLC are sold globally through national chain retail outlets and independent toy stores. For more information, please visit www.cepiallc.com.    

SOURCE Cepia LLC