FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CHILDREN ARE INVITED TO CREATE
UNICEF GREETING CARDS FOR
THE 2007 HOLIDAY SEASON
Pier 1/UNICEF/Weekly Reader Select “Holiday Happiness” as This Year’s Greeting Card Contest Theme
NEW YORK (December 12, 2006)—Children in the U.S. are being asked to submit creative drawings for the 2007 Pier 1/UNICEF/Weekly Reader Greeting Card Contest. Two winners will be chosen from thousands of entries and their winning artwork will be reproduced as official UNICEF greeting cards sold exclusively at Pier 1 Imports, Pier 1 Kids and pier1.com to benefit children around the world.
Children ages 13 and under are eligible to enter the contest, which will begin on March 1, 2007, the start of National Art Month. Entry forms are available online pier1.com, unicefusa.org, and weeklyreader.com; or by calling Pier 1’s Customer Relations Department at 1-800-245-4595. Entry forms will also be available at Pier 1 Kids locations and at Pier1Kids.com. All entries must be hand-drawn and received by Pier 1 Imports’ Corporate Headquarters by April 11, 2007. The children’s artwork will be judged on artistic quality and creative interpretation of the theme “Holiday Happiness.”
This year’s contest marks 22 years of a partnership between the specialty home furnishings retailer and the international children’s organization. Pier 1 started selling UNICEF greeting cards in 1985 and is now the world’s largest retailer of UNICEF greeting cards, having raised over $24 million for UNICEF. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the sale of all UNICEF cards sold at Pier 1 go to UNICEF.
The card contest started in 1992 as a way to help raise awareness among U.S. school children about UNICEF’s important work for children around the world. In 2004, Weekly Reader, a leader in educational publishing, became a contest sponsor as a way to encourage their 11 million readers—predominantly teachers, parents and children—to participate in the greeting card contest and learn more about UNICEF.
Two grand-prize winners will be chosen and their designs will be reprinted as official UNICEF cards available nationwide at all U.S. Pier 1 Imports and Pier 1 Kids stores and online at www.pier1.com, beginning September 2007. The grand-prize winners also win a trip to New York for themselves and two family members, where they will visit the United Nations and attend a Broadway play, among other seasonal events.
One of the winners of the 2006 contest, Annie Burbach (age 13) from Iowa, designed a colorful Christmas tree with silhouettes of children serving as holiday garland.
“So many wonderful events made my trip to New York City memorable and special,” said Annie Burbach. “One fantastic memory was getting the tour of the U.N. I learned more about what’s really going on around the world—also it showed me how great the card contest is because the proceeds help children in need around the world.”
The other winner, Linda Yu (age 12), from Oregon, created a design featuring the bright letters J-O-Y, with the “J” represented by a stocking filled with gifts, the “O” by a holiday wreath with a bright red bow, and the “Y” by a lovable reindeer with oversized antlers.
“We were dazzled by the Broadway show, the Rockettes; we went to the Statute of Liberty and the Empire State Building,” said Linda Yu. “The crowning event though was lighting the crystal UNICEF Snowflake with several amazing people, including UNICEF Ambassador, Clay Aiken. After that I was blind from the spotlights, flashing cameras and TV reporters.”
Funds from the sale of cards support UNICEF programs that provide lifesaving medicines, vaccines, nutritious foods, primary education, clean water and sanitation and emergency relief for millions of children and women in 156 countries and territories.
ABOUT UNICEF
Founded in 1946, UNICEF helps save, protect and improve the lives of children around the world through immunization, education, health care, nutrition, clean water and sanitation. UNICEF is non-partisan and its cooperation is free of discrimination. In everything it does, the most disadvantaged children and the countries in greatest need have priority. For more information, please visit www.unicefusa.org or call 1-800-4UNICEF.
ABOUT PIER 1 IMPORTS
Pier 1 Imports, Inc. is North America's largest specialty retailer of imported decorative home furnishings and gifts with Pier 1 Imports® stores in 49 states, Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico; and Pier 1 Kids® stores in the U.S. For Pier 1 store locations visit www.pier1.com or call 1-800-245-4595.
ABOUT WEEKLY READER
Weekly Reader Corporation is a leader in educational publishing. Created in 1902, Weekly Reader® publishes 16 magazines and a variety of other supplemental products that reinforce curriculum, help teachers meet standards, and engage students. All sixteen magazines have won awards for excellence in educational journalism. Weekly Reader® currently serves approximately nine million students and 250,000 teachers nationwide.
CONTACT:
Misty Otto
Pier 1 Imports
(817) 252-8514
mbotto@pier1.com