Press Release

Cuddletunes partners with Operation Homefront to connect deployed military families and help provide comfort to their children

11/8/2011

SEATTLE –  Cuddletunes (www.cuddletunes.com) has joined forces with Operation Homefront, Little Patriots Embraced and Military YMCA for a national Veteran’s Day campaign in support of deployed military families.

With the high operations tempo of the past decade, military families have faced great hardship due to the extended and sometimes repeated deployment of parents.  Cuddletunes offers a unique product that gives families a way to stay connected throughout long deployments. Parents can send loving messages to their children, read them stories, and even sing kids to sleep through the Cuddletunes web site and the snuggly, durable Cuddletunes teddy bear. 

“Staying connected is key … in terms of building relationships,” said Dr. Kris Peterson, child and adolescent psychiatry consultant to the Army surgeon general.

“Cuddletunes is proud to support this project,” said Cuddletunes CEO Mike Robinson.  “America’s military families are bearing a tremendous burden these days.  We are delighted that Cuddletunes bears can help lighten that burden by giving deployed soldiers a better way to stay close to their young children at home.”

"At Operation Homefront, we work every day with families struggling to cope with a loved one serving far from home," said Jim Knotts, President & CEO of Operation Homefront.  "Thanks to Cuddletunes, some of the youngest patriots we serve will feel a little closer to their mom or dad in harm's way."

Each soft, plush Cuddletunes bear has a special MP3 player sewn inside that is programmed with the child’s own soundtrack. Through the Cuddletunes website parents and grandparents can quickly and easily record stories, songs, affirmations and loving messages, in their own voices, and send them to the bear – all from anywhere in the world. The bear can also play any MP3 music file, and it comes with a free collection of beautiful lullabies.

The US Army Deployment Cycle Readiness Handbook states “Deployment is challenging, yet it can provide an opportunity to strengthen resiliency when military families successfully handle deployment demands. Key points to remember for shaping resilience in children during a parent’s absence are to make adequate family plans, prepare each child throughout all stages of deployment, and stay connected with the deployed parent.”  Cuddletunes is a great way for all families to stay connected.

On November 10, 11 and 12, Cuddletunes will provide their Cuddlebear at half off ($29.00) on www.savemore.com in salute of US Military families. Consumers will be given the opportunity to purchase a bear to be given away to military families dealing with deployment.  The donated bears will be distributed by charitable organizations that serve military families, including:
- Little Patriots Embraced  (www.LittlePatriotsEmbraced.org)
- San Diego Armed Services YMCA (www.asymca.com)
- Operation Homefront (www.operationhomefront.net)

About CUDDLETUNES
Cuddletunes created the world’s only teddy bear that keep families connected, providing families a way to send loving messages, create a healthy learning environment, and even sing kids to sleep through a snuggly, durable teddy bear. Each bear has a special MP3 player sewn right inside. The MP3 player is programmed with a personalized soundtrack and the bear is easy for kids to use. Through our website parents and grandparents can easily add new music and record stories, songs, affirmations and loving messages – all from anywhere in the world.  You can download new music and recordings to the bear as often as you want, so the bear grows and changes with your child. www.cuddletunes.com.

About Operation Homefront
A national nonprofit, Operation Homefront leads more than 5,000 volunteers across 25 chapters and has met more than 430,000 needs since 2002.  A four-star rated charity by watchdog Charity Navigator, nationally, 94 percent of total revenue donated to Operation Homefront goes to programs.  More information is available at www.OperationHomefront.net.