Jul 9, 2007

Cherished Teddies Celebrates 15 Years of Bear Hugs

Itasca, Ill. – It’s time for a ‘Teddiebration!’ Fifteen years after artist Priscilla Hillman crafted the first figurine with its trademark tattered paw pads and ‘take-me-home’ expression, Cherished Teddies has grown to become the premier line of teddy bear collectible figurines worldwide.

This year, Enesco, LLC, a leader in the gift, collectible and home decor industries, is marking the 15th anniversary of Cherished Teddies with a treasure trove of new figurines that will inspire Cherished Teddies fans to collect them all! A number of 15th Anniversary special events will be going on throughout 2007, including Celebration events and exclusive artist signings – all things that share the fun and love of Teddies!

“Fifteen years of Cherished Teddies is certainly something to celebrate,” said Basil Elliott, President and CEO of Enesco. “And we want to make sure our collectors are a part of the excitement! The plans are in the works to create a year-long cele’bear’ation full of adorable figurines and fun-filled events that will be bigger and better than ever before.”

Cherished Teddies Celebrations

Collectors and teddy enthusiasts are invited to attend any one of the three major Cherished Teddies Celebrations held across the country. With exclusive figurines, event credentials, prizes, gifts and giveaways, the Celebration events give collectors a chance to barter rare figurines from their collection, get the Celebration event-exclusive piece and talk Teddies with others who share their passion.The 15th Anniversary Celebration dates and cities are: June 22 – 23, 2007 Valley Forge, Penn.; July 27 – 28, 2007 Nashville, Tenn.; August 10 – 11, 2007, Chicago, Ill.

Attendees will have an opportunity to win a two-day, two-night trip for two to Chicago to have dinner with the Hillmans, tour Enesco’s showroom and win a prize package valued at $200. The trip will include transportation for two to Chicago and hotel accommodations for the weekend of September 22 and 23, 2007. Attendee names will be entered into one raffle, and the winner will be chosen at random at the Chicago Celebration Event.

For more information or to register for one or more of the Celebrations, collectors can contact KP Partners toll-free at 1-866-700-6878 or online at kppartners.net.

About the Cherished Teddies Collection

Cherished Teddies is a teddy bear collection sculpted in cold-cast resin and is considered to be one of the world’s leading teddy bear collectibles. Enesco introduced the collection in 1992 with 16 teddy bear figurines, and today there are more than 600 figurines and accessories. Each Cherished Teddies figurine has an individual name and message of friendship and love, which is chosen by artist Priscilla Hillman. Her son, Glenn, also designs many of the new figurines. Each figurine comes with a Certificate of Adoption so collectors can officially “adopt” the teddy bears and hundreds of thousands of figurines have been registered to date.

About Enesco, LLC.

Enesco, LLC is a global leader in the giftware, and home and garden decor industries. Serving more than 44,000 customers worldwide, Enesco distributes products to a wide variety of specialty card and gift retailers, home decor boutiques, as well as mass-market chains and direct mail retailers. With subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, France and Canada, Enesco serves markets operating in Europe, the Americas Canada, Australia and Asia. The Company’s product lines include some of the world’s most recognizable brands, including Heartwood Creek by Jim Shore, Foundations, Pooh & Friends, Walt Disney Classics Collections, Disney Traditions, Disney, Border Fine Arts, Cherished Teddies, Halcyon Days, and Lilliput Lane, among others. Further information is available on the Company’s web site at enesco.com.