Video: Calling All ARTHUR(R) Fans!

Video: Calling All ARTHUR(R) Fans!

PBS KIDS GO!(SM) Series ARTHUR and CVS Caremark All Kids Can(TM) Announce The 'ARTHUR/All Kids Can Character Search'!

Search Invites Kids Ages 6-12 to Create a New Friend for Arthur

BOSTON, Feb. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Calling all ARTHUR fans! Do you have an idea for a new friend for Arthur, D.W. or Buster? Well, here's your chance to create a character for Elwood City. ARTHUR, the award-winning PBS KIDS GO! television series, and CVS Caremark All Kids Can, a program dedicated to making life easier for kids with disabilities, have teamed up to announce the "ARTHUR/All Kids Can Character Search"!

To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/cvs/36880/

The "ARTHUR/All Kids Can Character Search" invites children ages 6-12 to send in their ideas for a new character for Arthur. And not just any character -- one who can show that having a unique ability, character trait, or disability might make life a little bit different, but not any less fun. Kids need to mail in their entries, and include a drawing of their character and a description of what makes them special, by March 31, 2009. The child with the selected idea, along with their character, will be featured in a live-action segment on the ARTHUR show. In addition, he or she will receive a visit from ARTHUR creator and author Marc Brown at the child's school, local library, or PBS member station.

The character search is designed to educate children about the importance of inclusion and how children of all abilities can play together. It also encourages parents and children to think about what life is like for someone they know who has a disability.

"We're looking for an exciting new character, who can show the gang in Elwood City that children come in all shapes, sizes and abilities," said ARTHUR Senior Producer Jacqui Deegan. "Over the years, ARTHUR has helped children to embrace other kids' unique characteristics as well as their own, and this new character will continue that tradition."

CVS Caremark All Kids Can supports programs and services that help children with disabilities learn, play, and succeed in life. For over 11 years, ARTHUR has celebrated the importance of friendship and the value of accepting and including kids with different abilities from all walks of life. For instance, Buster shows that kids with asthma can do just about anything, Marina shows her friends what it's like to be blind, George succeeds as a student with dyslexia, and Carl -- in an upcoming season -- will share what it's like to have autism.

"We're thrilled to partner with ARTHUR," said Eileen Howard Dunn, Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications and Community Relations at CVS Caremark. "For years, we've watched the series become a trusted resource for kids to learn valuable life lessons, by relating to its vibrant, loveable characters. This is a perfect way to further our mission of helping kids develop an understanding and acceptance of disabilities."

The selected character will be chosen by a panel of judges including the producers of the ARTHUR show, and colleagues from CVS Caremark All Kids Can. The panel includes Tolon Brown from Marc Brown Studios; Terri Mauro, About.com's Guide to Parenting Special Needs; Matt Cavedon from Boundless Playgrounds; Katy Beh Neas, Vice President of Government Relations for Easter Seals; and Susan Kane, Editor-in-Chief of Parenting magazine. Nine additional finalists will receive prize packages including CVS gift cards and ARTHUR merchandise.

Fans can visit pbskidsgo.org/arthur/allkidscan to download the entry form. Entries must be postmarked by March 31, 2009.

Funding for the "ARTHUR/All Kids Can Character Search" is provided by CVS Caremark All Kids Can.

About ARTHUR

ARTHUR, based on Marc Brown's best-selling books, is the highest rated weekday children's series on PBS among children 6-11 (Source: For PBS, NTI Pocketpiece, October 2007-June 2008). ARTHUR has won numerous awards, including the George Foster Peabody Award, a BAFTA and six Daytime Emmys -- four for Outstanding Children's Animated Program. ARTHUR is produced by WGBH Boston and Cookie Jar Entertainment Inc. Executive producers are Carol Greenwald (WGBH), Toper Taylor (Cookie Jar), and Marc Brown (Marc Brown Studios). Directed by Greg Bailey.

Funding for ARTHUR is provided by public television viewers. Corporate funding is provided by Chuck E. Cheese's(R), Hefty(R) Zoo Pals(R) Plates and Cups, and CVS Pharmacy, Inc.

About CVS Caremark All Kids Can

All Kids Can, a program of the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust and CVS Caremark, is a five-year, $25 million commitment to support children with disabilities. The goals of All Kids Can are to support children with disabilities by raising awareness in schools and in local communities about the importance of inclusion, creating greater opportunities for physical activity and play, and providing access to medical rehabilitation and related services. CVS Caremark and its more than 210,000 employees help children with disabilities learn, play and succeed through partnerships with leading local and national nonprofit organizations such as Easter Seals and many others across the country. For more information, visit http://www.cvsallkidscan.com/.

About WGBH Boston

WGBH Boston is America's preeminent public broadcasting producer, the source of one-third of PBS's prime-time lineup along with some of public television's best-known lifestyle shows, many public radio favorites, and a roster of children's programs that empower kids with innovative, entertaining, curriculum-based content. Among the WGBH-produced children's titles: Arthur, Curious George, Postcards from Buster, Between the Lions, Design Squad, Martha Speaks and Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman. WGBH is the number-one producer of websites on pbs.org, one of the most trafficked dot-org websites in the world, and a pioneer in educational multimedia and in technologies and services that make media accessible to the 36 million Americans who rely on captioning or video descriptions. WGBH has been recognized with hundreds of honors: Emmys, Peabodys, duPont-Columbia Awards . . . even two Oscars. In 2002, WGBH received a special institutional Peabody Award for 50 years of excellence. For more information, go to www.wgbh.org.

About PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO!

PBS KIDS, for preschoolers, and PBS KIDS GO!, for early elementary school kids, offer all children -- from every walk of life -- the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, online and outreach programs. With positive character role models and content designed to nurture a child's total well-being, PBS's online and community resources -- including PBS KIDS online (pbskids.org), PBS KIDS GO! online (pbskidsgo.org), PBS Parents (pbsparents.org), PBS Teachers (pbsteachers.org), PBS KIDS Raising Readers and literacy events across the country -- leverage the full spectrum of media, technology and community to build knowledge, critical thinking, imagination and curiosity. Empowering children for success in school and in life, only PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO! have earned the unanimous endorsement of parents, children, industry leaders and teachers. PBS is a nonprofit media enterprise owned and operated by the nation's 356 public television stations, serving more than 115 million people on-air and online each month.

Press Contact:
Jennifer Welsh
WGBH Boston
617.300.5470
jennifer_welsh@wgbh.org

Sara Steindorf
Weber Shandwick
For CVS Caremark
Office: 617.520.7259
Cell: 617.905.4702
ssteindorf@webershandwick.com

Darrity Furman
WGBH Boston
617.300.5309
darrity_furman@wgbh.org

Photography Contact:
Marya McLaughlin
WGBH Boston
617.300.5342
marya_mclaughlin@wgbh.org

Video: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/cvs/36880
Source: CVS Caremark; PBS

CONTACT: Press, Jennifer Welsh, +1-617-300-5470,
jennifer_welsh@wgbh.org, or Darrity Furman, +1-617-300-5309,
darrity_furman@wgbh.org, both of WGBH Boston; or Sara Steindorf of Weber
Shandwick, for CVS Caremark, +1-617-520-7259, Cell, +1-617-905-4702,
ssteindorf@webershandwick.com; or Photography, Marya McLaughlin of WGBH
Boston, +1-617-300-5342, marya_mclaughlin@wgbh.org

Web Site: http://www.cvsallkidscan.com/
http://www.pbskidsgo.org/arthur/allkidscan

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