The Island News

On occasion I receive emails from various companies and organizations asking me to forward their messages on to you. So, here they are in their own words . . . well, mostly.

KIDS ENTERTAINMENT

Disney Channel will debut the second season of its hit music-filled Playhouse Disney series, “Imagination Movers,” SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 (10:00 a.m., ET/PT). New episodes of the series, starring New Orleans’ favorite alternative rock band for preschoolers, will air every Saturday throughout September. The season will include more than 25 new original songs by the band.

Disney Channel will premiere eight new episodes of its hit multicultural series “Handy Manny,” starring the voice of Wilmer Valderrama, every Saturday throughout the summer beginning SATURDAY, JUNE 20 (8:30 a.m. ET/PT) and concluding with a marathon of episodes on SATURDAY, AUGUST 15 (6:00 – 10:00 a.m. ET/PT). Guest stars featured in the new episodes include “Happy Days” alumni Henry Winkler and Marion Ross, Broadway’s “Hairspray” alumni Shannon Durig and Ashley Parker Angel, and Lance Bass.

Random House will be introducing a new children’s book series this summer aimed at girls, ages 7 – 12, called The Fairy Godmother Academy. The first book in the series, entitled Birdie’s Book, isn’t being released until August 25th, but a new social community centered around games, music and social networking is being launched very soon. Get a special sneak peek at the website at www.fairygodmotheracademy.com.

Earlier Media announced the launch of Kideos (www.kideos.com), an entertainment destination for kids to safely watch videos online. Kideos features popular children’s videos, from Elmo to Thomas, with a kid-friendly interface within a safe environment. Kideos is the newest web property from Earlier Media, a company dedicated to providing trustworthy destinations for children of all ages to learn, watch videos and play games online. Additionally, the site offers parents their own personalization tools to limit videos shown to their children by selecting the appropriate age-based category. Once chosen, children will only be able to view videos specifically targeted towards their exact age group.

WORTHY CAUSES

Beginning on August 3, all T.J. Maxx stores will carry limited edition reusable shopping bags for $0.99. The bags are designed with Save the Children original children’s artwork, and for each bag purchased, T.J. Maxx will donate one basic item such as; socks, underwear and backpacks to Save the Children’s U.S. programs, up to 25,000 items. This initiative marks 25 years of partnership for T.J. Maxx and Save the Children.

This year, in a “twist” to their annual Sunkist Take a Stand program, Sunkist is issuing a creative challenge for America’s kids to express themselves and their desire to raise money for their favorite charity, in the very fundraising tool itself — the lemonade stand. By posting their designs on Sunkist’s Facebook page, with their parents’ help, children can not only display their creativity, but also enter for the chance to increase their donations and win cash prizes.

CONTESTS

Forget the long lines or red velvet ropes. Don’t worry about rude, burly bouncers or dress to impress door policies. This summer, the biggest party of the year is taking place right in your own home! On August 10th, Belli, a line of luxe and teratology-tested skincare products to address the specific issues of pregnant women, new moms and babies, will be hosting their annual online party. To kick-off the party, Belli and its partner sponsors will have a drawing for a prize each day during the two week promotion. On August 24th, a grand prizewinner will be picked to take home each of the prizes awarded during the promotional period.

Earthbound Farm has just launched a web-based contest seeking quotes from children for the inside of its clamshell salad labels. Kids will be encouraged to submit quotes thanking those who purchase organic for helping protect the future. For each child’s quote that’s chosen, they will recieve a $500 US Savings Bond & a $500 donation in your child’s name to a nonprofit environmental organization.

Calling all Lil’ Heroes! Nestle Drumstick Lil’ Drums is searching for ten kids across the nation who have shown outstanding acts of bravery or have made a difference in their communities. From now until August 15, 2009, parents, teachers and inspired adults can nominate their Lil’ Heroes, who will have a chance to win a $1,000 U.S. Savings Bond and a special delivery of enough Nestle Drumstick Lil’ Drums sundae cones to host a party for up to 50 family and friends.

You can nominate an extraordinary educator by visiting www.expoeducator.com and submitting a brief essay about the teacher you feel deserves a little more recognition. 12 semi-finalists and one-grand prize winner (known as the EXPO Extraordinary Educator will be given a financial break. Prizes include cash, free EXPO school supplies and more.

SanDisk has launched a summer video contest! With summer in full swing – which means family trips to Disneyland, the beach, camping, and more – families can turn these exciting summer moments into cash for the next family vacation! With just a quick 60-second video of summer fun, families can enter to win a $1,000 in weekly prizes and a grand prize of $5,000! All you need to do is post your video at http://www.youtube.com/sandisk for a chance to win.