The "Caring Easter Bunny" Hops Into Town to Create Extraordinary Experiences for Children With Special Needs

Stanford Shopping Center's one-of-a-kind Caring Easter Bunny Experience with AbilityPath.org to focus on children with special needs in Northern California.

PALO ALTO, Calif., April 15, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This year, the "green grass" carpet will be rolled out for children with special needs and their families for a special Caring Easter Bunny event at Stanford Shopping Center.  On Sunday, April 17 from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. PDT at the Center Pavilion, the Caring Easter Bunny will "hop" out early—before the mall officially opens—to welcome his guests with special needs in an environment that will be set up to support the sensory, physical and other developmental needs.  

The Caring Easter Bunny is a joint project between Stanford Shopping Center; The Noerr Programs, the digital imaging company who provides the Santa and Bunny photo experience for malls nationwide; and AbilityPath.org, a national online resource hub and special needs community with local offices in the San Francisco Bay Area.

"This is an amazing opportunity for families of children with special needs to come out and enjoy a day that has been specifically designed with their needs in mind," said Sheryl Young, CEO of AbilityPath.org, a partner in the program. "The event provides a calmer sensory friendly environment to still enjoy that special age-old tradition of having their photo with the Easter Bunny displayed on the mantle!"

Families will be welcomed with coffee and treats thanks to La Baguette and Starbucks, which provides families the time to socialize, take a break from the festivities and connect. Easter-themed coloring activities will also be provided for children.

"We are thrilled to be hosting this incredible event," said Julie Kelly, Director of Marketing at Stanford Shopping Center. "The Caring Easter Bunny brings a lot of joy to children with specials needs, and to be involved is truly an honor."

The Noerr Programs will donate a percentage of photo package sales to AbilityPath.org to continue their work at serving and supporting families of children with special needs.  AbilityPath.org has advised on event set up and conducted staff training so that all aspects of the event are welcoming to any child.

"The Caring Easter Bunny Experience at Stanford Shopping Center fulfills our dream of providing a comforting and physically accommodating experience for families with children that have special needs," said Judy Noerr, President of The Noerr Programs.

Families are encouraged to RSVP prior to the event at www.facebook.com/abilitypath. The Stanford Shopping Center is located at 660 Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto, CA. More information may also be found online at AbilityPath.org.

SOURCE AbilityPath.org