For Immediate Release
Media Contacts:
Patti Thomas
patti@carsonstoga.com
847.884.0000
Sara Brewster
sbrewster@easterseals.com
312.551.7141
A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts Joins Forces with Easter Seals with Free Event and Campaign to Raise Funds and Awareness for Families Living with Autism
Make the First Five Count® and Act for Autism® at All 139 A.C. Moore stores with a Free Craft Event and Register Donation Program in March & April
(Chicago, March, 28, 2013) -- For the fourth year in a row, there’s an easy and crafty way families can help people living with autism. A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts, Inc. has teamed up with Easter Seals for an in-store campaign and free crafting event that asks customers to Act for Autism® beginning March 24th through April 27th.
Customers who visit any A.C. Moore (www.acmoore.com) store during the March and April timeframe can donate $1 to Easter Seals’ Act for Autism campaign at checkout. On April 20, all stores will hold a Free “Make and Take” event from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. where children can create a Creative Hands® foam name sign.
The money raised during the campaign supports Easter Seals Make the First Five Count® initiative – offering free online developmental screenings, early intervention and autism services in the same local communities as A.C. Moore stores, giving thousands of children access to critical services that help them live, learn, work, and play. Since launching the campaign as part of its Crafting a Better World program in 2010, A.C. Moore customers and store team members have raised nearly $500,000 for Easter Seals.
“We are invested into our local communities and, for the fourth consecutive year, we are giving customers an opportunity to express their creativity and learn about autism, early diagnosis, treatment and the support available for families living with autism” said Pepe Piperno, chairman of A.C. Moore. “Our store managers and staff are geared up to make this the most successful campaign yet.”
Why Act for Autism with A.C. Moore and Easter Seals
“We know that through early detection and individualized intervention, children with developmental delays, autism and other disabilities make significant progress,” explains Dr. Patricia Wright, MPH, Ph.D., national director autism services, Easter Seals. “The funds raised through our partnership with A.C. Moore will give more children with autism the care, guidance and support they need.”
Today, one in 88 children are diagnosed with autism and there’s an increasing need for funding, services and support. There’s no known cause, cure or single effective treatment, but people with autism at any age can make significant progress and lead meaningful lives. Getting the right support at the earliest stage in life can help a child gain the skills he or she needs to be successful.
“A.C. Moore and Easter Seals are a great fit—we’re able to combine our efforts to raise autism awareness, build community involvement and hopefully, inspire children of all abilities to find their inner artist,” adds Wright.
About A.C. Moore
With 139 stores along the East Coast, A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts, Inc. brings families together for fun through creativity. Named by Parents Magazine as one of the top 10 places for birthday parties, A.C. Moore offers a wide range of programs to engage adults and children in crafting, including workshops, demonstrations and “Make & Takes.” In addition to traditional craft products, A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts is also well-known for its selection of scrapbooking, jewelry, floral, yarn, art supplies, children’s crafts kits and educational toys, along with ready-made frames and custom framing. To locate your local A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts, visit us at http://www.acmoore.com/, www.facebook.com/acmoore and twitter.com/officialacmoore.
About Easter Seals
Easter Seals is the leading non-profit provider of services for individuals with autism, developmental disabilities, physical disabilities and other special needs. For more than 90 years, we have been offering help and hope to children and adults living with disabilities, and to the families who love them. Through therapy, training, education and support services, Easter Seals creates life-changing solutions so that people with disabilities can live, learn, work and play. Support children and adults with disabilities at www.easterseals.com or www.MaketheFirstFiveCount.org
