Care Bears Celebrate 25th Anniversary in New York City

Today, pop culture sensations the Care BearsTM are marking their 25th anniversary with a major celebration in New York City and the introduction of the exquisite new Limited Edition 25th Anniversary Care Bear™. To commemorate a quarter century as America’s favorite bears, the Care Bears’ brand owner, American Greetings Properties, along with master toy partner Play Along®, a division of JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (Nasdaq: JAKK), and domestic licensing agent, The Joester Loria Group, have planned a series of festivities helping to further fuel the frenzy and continue to attract a whole new generation of youngsters – and their parents – to the brand.

In honor of this special occasion, the Limited Edition 25th Anniversary Care Bear from Play Along debuts at major mass retailers nationwide. This beautiful silver and white commemorative Care Bear features real Swarovski® crystal eyes and sterling silver-plated accents and is accompanied by a rare, never-before-released DVD of the very first Care Bears TV episode, The Land Without Feelings, which first aired in 1983.

To get the celebration started, and to encourage kids to “care and share” as they have for the past 25 years, the Care Bears are kicking off the first-ever “Care-A-Lot Kids Campaign.” The campaign recognizes five remarkable children from across the country who are exceptional examples of the Care Bears’ signature message. These kids have selflessly made positive changes within their community or globally, and have empowered others to do the same. In recognition of their efforts, the Care Bears are providing each of these very caring individuals with a donation to their respective charities.

The recipients include: Zach Bonner from Valrico, FL, who started the nonprofit Little Red Wagon Foundation, which helps children in distressed situations; Taylor Crabtree from Vista, CA, who founded TayBear; which provides teddy bears for kids with cancer and chronic blood diseases; Brandon Keefe from West Hills, CA, who founded Bookends, a nonprofit organization that recycles children's books through student-run book drives and places them in schools and youth organizations needing books; Kennedy Kulish from Lancaster, PA, who started the youth services project Kisses from Kaeden; and Bethany Reed from Austin, TX, a committed supporter of the Adopt-A-Rainforest Program, part of the Rainforest Alliance.

According to Josef Mandelbaum, President and CEO, American Greetings Properties, “We are very excited about celebrating the Care Bears’ 25th Anniversary in New York City and working with many of our partners to make the 25th year of Care Bears a banner year. We are particularly pleased to kick off the ‘Care-A-Lot Kids Campaign,’ to honor those kids who have embraced the Care Bears’ timeless message of caring and sharing, and hopefully encourage others to do the same.”

The Care Bears are also taking their message of “caring and sharing” to the streets of New York City and visiting major hot spots throughout the city to share hugs with New Yorkers and visitors alike. All day long, the Care Bears will make appearances at parks, after-school programs, museums, libraries, shops, restaurants, commuter locations and more.

Since no birthday is complete without a birthday party, the Care Bears are traveling from Care-A-Lot to The Center of the Toy Universe™ to celebrate their 25th birthday at Toys “R” Us Times Square. Attendees at the celebration will have a chance to be among the first to purchase the Limited Edition 25th Anniversary Care Bear. Additionally, during the Toys “R” Us celebration, guests can create personalized Care Bears birthday cards, have their faces painted with images from the Care Bears’ belly badges and take pictures with the new Anniversary Bear costume character.

“Today will be a truly special day for the Care Bears, and we’re thrilled to debut the commemorative 25th Anniversary Care Bear as part of the celebration,” said Tom Delaney, VP of Marketing, Play Along. “This precious, new limited-edition Care Bear will make a wonderful keepsake for Care Bears fans of all ages.”

Additionally, special 25th anniversary events will take place on September 29 at select Carlton Cards and American Greetings stores nationwide, including meet and greets with a Care Bear along with sticker and candy giveaways. The Limited Edition 25th Anniversary Care Bear will also be available for sale.

On Saturday September 15th, a brand new Care Bears animated series, "Care Bears: Adventures in Care-A-Lot," debuted on the CBS Television Network presented by CBS, DIC Entertainment (DIC) and American Greetings Properties.