ST. LOUIS -- May 9, 2006 -- A teddy bear hug can often be the best medicine for a child that is ill. For children receiving medical attention away from their home, a teddy bear companion may be the only one who truly understands how a child feels and can bring comfort when it is needed most. It is a best friend away from home. This is why Build-A-Bear Workshop is pleased to partner with Ronald McDonald House Charities® on the sixth annual Build-A-Bear Workshop Stuffed with Hugs™ program; Stuffed with Hugs: Hugs Away From Home.

On May 20, 2006, approximately 50,000 teddy bears will be made and given to children at Ronald McDonald Houses around the world. Build-A-Bear Workshop is inviting the first 200 Guests in all its stores - in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia - to visit a store and make a bear for free. Through its partnership with Ronald McDonald House Charities®, Build-A-Bear Workshop will be giving all the bears made on Stuffed with Hugs day to children staying at Ronald McDonald Houses and Ronald McDonald Family Rooms who are in need of extra teddy loving care.

More than 6,000 families find temporary residence each day at the 258 Ronald McDonald Houses around the world. These houses offer families a supportive and nurturing environment in which the children can heal. In addition, there are nearly 100 Ronald McDonald Family Rooms within hospitals in 10 countries that offer parents a place to go when leaving a child's hospital bedside is not always possible.

"The Build-A-Bear Workshop Stuffed with Hugs program will surely bring smiles to the faces of thousands of children who will be touched by the generosity of Build-A-Bear Workshop," said Ken Barun, president and CEO of RMHC. "We appreciate the efforts of Build-A-Bear Workshop and their Guests to brighten the day of children staying at Ronald McDonald Houses and Ronald McDonald Family Rooms around the world."

"We take pride in being a company with heart and we carry this through everything we do," said Maxine Clark, Founder and Chief Executive Bear of Build-A-Bear Workshop. "To us, involving our Guests and empowering them to make a difference makes this effort even more special. Stuffed with Hugs is the perfect backdrop for showing our young Guests that a simple act like making a bear for a child in need of a hug is an easy way to give to others from your heart."

Participants on Stuffed with Hugs day will be able to meet Build-A-Bear Workshop mascot Bearemy®. Additionally, for their participation, each attendee will be given a Build-A-Bear Workshop coupon worth $3 off a $15 purchase.

To learn about Stuffed with Hugs: Hugs Away From Home activities or to find a store in your area, visit www.buildabear.com.

About Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc.
Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. is the only global company that offers an interactive make-your-own stuffed animal retail-entertainment experience. Founded in St. Louis in 1997, the company currently operates more than 240 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The addition of franchise stores in Europe, Asia and Australia make Build-A-Bear Workshop the leader in interactive retail. In November 2004, the company expanded the make-your-own concept from stuffed animals to dolls with the opening of its first friends 2B made® stores, where Guests can make their own doll friends. In April 2006, Build-A-Bear Workshop acquired The Bear Factory, a U.K.-based stuffed animal retailer, and Amsbra, Ltd., the company's franchisee in the U.K., adding company-owned stores in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE: BBW) posted total revenue of $362 million in fiscal 2005. For more information, call 888.560.BEAR (2327) or visit the company's award-winning Web sites at www.buildabear.com and www.friends2Bmade.com.

About RMHC
Ronald McDonald House Charities, a non-profit 501 (c) (3) corporation, creates, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well being of children. Its programs are grassroots-driven to enable the Charity to offer help where children need it most - right in their own communities. RMHC makes an immediate, positive impact on children's lives through its global network of local Chapters in nearly 50 countries and its three core programs: the Ronald McDonald House®, Ronald McDonald Family Room and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile. RMHC and its global network of local Chapters have awarded more than $430 million in grants and program services to children's programs around the world. For more information, visit www.rmhc.org.