BY KIDS FOR KIDS AND SEARS ANNOUNCE TOY SHOP CHALLENGE
Challenge is designed to inspire invention in children
Stamford, Conn., (Oct. 18, 2010) – By Kids For Kids Co. (BKFK) and Sears are teaming up to bring play back to children by launching the new Toy Shop Challenge. Now through Dec. 15 children ages three to eight years old are invited to share their own unique ideas for new toys and enter them into the challenge at www.toyshopchallenge.com. The grand prize winner will receive a $1,000 Sears gift card and a two-day, one-night trip for two (winner and parent/legal guardian) to the grand prize celebration event in New York City.
The Toy Shop Challenge coincides with the opening of 79 new Sears Toy Shops within its existing stores to help kids and parents shop for toys year-round. The Toy Shops feature popular toys and specialty items that help to build four core areas of childhood development – creativity, motor, social and cognitive skills. The Sears Toy Shops offer a hand-picked selection of toys, a “play as you shop” experience and a trusted source for toy and play advice. The Toy shops will be expanding into four new markets, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, San Diego, and Washington D.C. Additionally, new Toy Shops will be added in the Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco markets, where the retailer opened 20 pilot Toy Shops last year.
BKFK and Sears realize how important it is to stimulate the imagination of children. To enhance the program and foster creativity, BKFK distributed educational posters and activity packs to thousands of pre-kindergarten through first grade teachers in schools surrounding the new Toy Shop locations. Packets included suggested activities that teachers can do in the classroom to help jump start children’s creativity. Also included were backpack stuffers with activities for children to do at home with parents. All materials are free to download from the Toy Shop challenge website www.toyshopchallenge.com.
“I am excited to launch this competition with Sears.” said BKFK founder and CEO Norman Goldstein. “BKFK's goal is to inspire creativity in children and this competition offers a wonderful opportunity for young children to be creative and invent their idea of the perfect toy. These children could be our future toy makers.”
Visit www.toyshopchallenge.com to learn more about the Toy Shop Challenge or www.sears.com/toyshop to shop for toys online or find a Sears Toy Shop location near you.
Abbreviated Toy Shop Challenge Rules:
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. SUBJECT TO OFFICIAL RULES. FOR OFFICIAL RULES AND DETAILS, go to: www.toyshopchallenge.com. Void where prohibited.
1) ELIGIBILITY: Open only to legal U.S. residents, who are not younger than 3 years old and not older than 8 years old at the time of entry. Employees, officers, directors and advisers of Sears Holdings Management Corporation. , or By Kids For Kids Company, and their respective parents, affiliated and subsidiary companies, advertising and promotion agencies, Toy Shop Challenge judges, web masters and web suppliers, and persons engaged in the development of the Toy Shop Challenge materials, and members of the immediate family (parents, siblings, children (natural, adopted, foster) and spouse, wherever they reside) or household members (whether or not related) of such employees, officers, directors, advisers are not eligible.
2) ENTRIES: To be considered for this contest and eligible for prizes each entry must be a new original idea for a new toy or game .
3) TO PARTICIPATE: To enter the Sears Toy Shop Challenge go to: www.toyshopchallenge.com. For participation by mail, use the mail-in entry form available at participating Sears Toy Shop stores, participating classroom teachers or by download from www.toyshopchallenge.com and follow directions on entry form. PARENTAL/LEGAL GUARDIAN PERMISSION IS REQUIRED TO SUBMIT AN ENTRY. (Follow instructions on entry form). This is a judged contest. For judging criteria see the Official Rules.
4) CONTEST PERIOD: Contest begins October 15, 2010; 9:00 AM (ET). On-line entries must be received by December 15, 2010; 5:00 PM (ET). Mail-in entries must be postmarked by December 15, 2010 and received by December 22, 2010.
5) PRIZES:
GRAND PRIZE: One (1) GRAND PRIZE: $1,000 awarded in the form of a Sears Gift Card. In addition, a 2-day, 1-night trip for 2 (winner and parent/guardian) to New York City on a specified date to be determined by Sears to attend the Grand Prize winner celebration event.
FINALISTS: Four (4) FINALISTS (for those finalists that do not win the Grand Prize): $250 awarded in the form of a Sears Gift Card.
PARTICIPANTS: Certificate of recognition.
TEACHER PRIZE: One (1): $500 awarded in the form of a Sears Gift Card to the teacher identified by the Grand Prize Winner as most inspirational.
6) SPONSOR: The Sponsor of the contest is Sears Holdings Management Corporation, 3333 Beverly Road, Hoffman Estates, IL 60179
7) ADMINISTRATOR: By Kids For Kids Company, 1177 High Ridge Road; Stamford, CT 06905
About Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Sears, Roebuck and Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (Nasdaq: SHLD), is a leading broadline retailer providing merchandise and related services. Sears, Roebuck offers its wide range of home merchandise, apparel and automotive products and services through more than 2,300 Sears-branded and affiliated stores in the United States and Canada, which includes approximately 929 full-line and approximately 1,200 specialty stores in the U.S. Sears, Roebuck also offers a variety of merchandise and services through sears.com, landsend.com, and specialty catalogs. Sears, Roebuck offers consumers leading proprietary brands including Kenmore, Craftsman, DieHard and Lands' End -- among the most trusted and preferred brands in the U.S. Sears, Roebuck is the 2010 ENERGY STAR® Retail Partner of the Year. The company is the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 12 million service calls made annually. For more information, visit the Sears, Roebuck website at www.sears.com or the Sears Holdings Corporation website at www.searsholdings.com.
About By Kids For Kids Co.
By Kids for Kids® (BKFK®) is a platform that empowers youth invention, innovation and entrepreneurship. BKFK promotes youth social innovation and partners with leading corporations to inspire product development, crucial technology skills, invention, and innovation in young people from 8 to 22. BKFK provides a unique platform for young people to develop, showcase, and commercialize their products, inventions and entrepreneurship. BKFK's “cycle of innovation” develops critical 21st Century skills in our nation's youth. The company provides educational resources- curriculum and challenges that promote social change, product development and entrepreneurial endeavors. Learn more: www.bkfk.com.
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Media Contact:
Judy Klym
By Kids For Kids
203-322-6199
jklym@optonline.net
