September 19 , 2005

'We are doing and donating like never before'

TAGGIES COMFORT KATRINA'S VICTIMS

AS FIRM DONATES BLANKETS AND PLUSH TOYS TO THE DISPLACED

SPENCER, Mass. (Sept. 19) -- Nearly 1,000 cozy blankets and plush toys are on their way to soothe Hurricane Katrina victims from Taggies -- the small business with a big heart.

"We're sending as many Taggies as we could round up -- I think it's 935 pieces of product -- and we’ve collected money, too," says Danielle Ayotte, who with Julie Dix owns the Spencer, Mass., firm, which makes blankets and plush toys adorned with satiny tags babies love to rub.

"We are doing and donating like never before!" Dix agrees. "This is by far the biggest donation we've ever made. The need is so great, we feel very strongly that we want to help in every possible way."

With a retail value of more than $32,000, the donation of blankets, plush toys, pillows and bedding represents a major commitment. Working with K.I.D.S. (Kids in Distressed Situations, Inc.), Taggies has sent its products to the New Galilee Baptist Church in Picayune, Mississippi. Supplementing employees' donations with corporate funds, Taggies also made a contribution of $1000 to the American Red Cross.

Founded when Ayotte and Dix met in their toddlers' playgroup, Taggies has expanded headquarters four times in five years to accommodate sales growth. The patented Taggies product line includes small and large fleece blankets, plush toys, wrist rattles, infant booties, pillows, crib sets and the soft-cover Scholastic books "My First Taggies Book: Sweet Dreams" and "My First Taggies Book: I Love You."  The company’s Random Acts of Kindness program brings Taggies blankets to ill or needy children.

Taggies products are sold at more than 4,000 independent specialty shops in the United States, Canada, England and Ireland, and through more than a dozen catalogs, including RedEnvelope and Lillian Vernon. "My First Taggies Book: Sweet Dreams" and "My First Taggies Book: I Love You" are sold at Wal-Mart, Target, Toys R Us, Borders, Barnes & Noble and other mass marketers. Taggies products may be ordered online at www.taggies.com and by phone at 1-877-4-TAGGIE.

All Taggies products are completely safety tested and meet or exceed all applicable safety standards as set forth by the regulatory bodies in the United States,Canada, and in the parts of Europe and other territories where Taggies are sold.

For more information about TAGGIES, or to schedule an interview with Julie Dix and Danielle Ayotte, please contact
Elizabeth Waldman Frazier at WALDMANIA! Public Relations, 415.334.2787 or waldmania@comcast.net

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