Toys“R”Us® today announced the launch of its annual nationwide fundraising campaign to benefit the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. Now through Sunday, December 6, customers can spread holiday joy to some of the 15.5 million U.S. children living in poverty by donating new, unwrapped toys at any Toys“R”Us or Babies“R”Us® store across the country and online at http://www.Toysrus.com/ToysforTots. The company will also collect monetary donations in-store and online through Christmas Eve.
NBA Legend, philanthropist and entrepreneur, Shaquille O’Neal once again joins the company’s campaign as his alter ego Shaq-A-Claus, to encourage shoppers to donate to Toys for Tots. Throughout the campaign, Shaquille will also invite social media users to #PlayItForward, an initiative designed to further spread awareness of the millions of children living in poverty and to inspire families to donate to the cause.
“Making wishes come true around the holidays is especially important to me, as I know how much one toy and one act of kindness can matter. When I was a kid, I was given my very own Dr. J autographed basketball, inspiring me to believe I could grow up to be a basketball star,” said Shaquille O’Neal. “For years, I would shop for presents at Toys“R”Us and distribute them to underprivileged children on Christmas morning. Now, in partnership with Toys“R”Us and the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, I’m making it my mission as Shaq-A-Claus to give back and spread holiday cheer to the millions of needy kids in the U.S. I encourage everyone to join me this year and remember – every toy counts!”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7476351-toys-r-us-toys-for-tots-playitforward/
Brooklyn-based Victoria Fine Foods, the top-selling slow kettle cooked pasta sauce manufacturer in the U.S., announces today that it will expand distribution this month in more than 400 cities across Florida and California. In total, nearly 2,500 stores across Florida and southern California will stock the company’s premium line of kettle-cooked pasta sauces by the end of the month. Suggested retail price for Victoria’s premium line of pasta sauces range from $7.99 - $8.99 per 24-ounce jar.
Victoria’s growth is, in part, a reflection of growing consumer interest in better-for-you, minimally-processed foods; a trend that fits the company’s core ingredients-first approach. In fact, since its inception in 1929 the company has used only fresh, real food ingredients that are kettle-cooked in small batches to provide a true homemade sauce in ready-to-eat form.
To celebrate its new availability in California and Florida, Victoria has launched a recipe contest to identify the best pasta dish in each new region. Participants can enter simply by uploading a photo of their favorite pasta recipe using the hashtag #Pastaratzzi for a chance to win a $1,000 kitchenware makeover and other prizes. For contest details, visit www.Facebook.com/VictoriaFineFoods.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7630151-victoria-fine-foods-expansion/
Seniors 80 and over yearn to be connected but many are not, causing a more than quarter of them to become “virtual shut-ins.” While a new survey shows use of social technology is linked to better wellbeing for people in this age group and demonstrates its potential for combating isolation, it also reveals their frustration and need for assistance in becoming part of the digital world. These findings come from a “Rewiring Aging” survey supported by Brookdale Senior Living, conducted by Kelton, a leading global insights firm in collaboration with the Stanford Center on Longevity. It is the first in-depth study of how online social networking and similar tech-based activities affect the quality of life among America’s fastest-growing demographic segment.
Fifty-eight percent of seniors surveyed believe technology can improve communication with family and friends. This belief is borne out by the findings; respondents who indicated they interact with loved ones through social technology report having higher life satisfaction and health and being more likely to attain life goals than those who do not use social technology.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7617951-brookdale-seniors-technology/
As the largest senior living provider in the country, Brookdale Senior Living (NYSE: BKD) is advancing its industry leadership role through a new national branding and communications initiative beginning today. Brookdale’s campaign is designed to provoke audiences to rethink their views of senior living and to capture the essence of the close relationships formed every day between the company's 80,000 associates and nearly 100,000 residents. As part of the campaign, the company is undertaking a broad range of initiatives to evolve the perception of senior living and demonstrate how innovative approaches and services at Brookdale can transform lives.
“We continue to move forward on our objective to develop the preeminent senior living brand, and we believe this campaign will create a cultural redefinition of the value that an innovative senior living provider can bring to people's lives,” said Will Clark, Brookdale’s senior vice president of strategy and innovation. “Brookdale is bringing new life to the traditional view of senior living. We focus our energy on enabling seniors to live their lives to the fullest – and in doing so changing the myths and perceptions of senior living. As the largest senior living provider in the country, we have the opportunity and I believe the responsibility to lead this conversation.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7646051-brookdale-launches-national-campaign/
More than half of Americans under the age of 40 surveyed in a recent poll (58.4%) would choose a day without food over a night without sleep. But they might want to hang onto their hamburgers. It seems they aren’t getting enough shut eye, anyway. This is interesting food for thought that led the Sleep Inn® hotel brand to dig deeper into the state of American sleep. The findings were eye-opening. And now the brand that prides itself on better dreams and relaxing rest is asking Americans around the country to take a stand for more sleep and join the “Let’s Sleep Inn” Movement.
“We are launching the “Let’s Sleep Inn” Movement because the Sleep Inn hotel brand recognizes the vital importance of a good night’s rest - for health, happiness and even, perhaps, the American economy. The word ‘Sleep’ is not only in the name of our Sleep Inn hotels, it’s in our brand DNA,” said Anne Smith, vice president of brand strategy for Choice Hotels. “We wanted to learn more about how and when Americans are sleeping. Our survey not only reveals interesting trends about sleep styles and preferences, but also just how much people would be willing to give up or trade for more quality rest.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7267151-sleep-inn-movement/
After only 16 weeks of existence, foetuses hear and respond to music as long as it is emitted from their mother’s vagina. Foetuses respond to this stimulus by opening their mouths and pulling their tongues out as far as possible, making vocalisation movements – prior to the acquisition of language.
This is the main conclusion of the study conducted by the team of Institut Marquès, which boasts the collaboration of Alberto Prats, Professor of Anatomy and Human Embryology of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Barcelona.
The study, entitled “Foetal facial expression in response to intravaginal music emission”, is published this week in the journal Ultrasound of the British Medical Ultrasound Society (BMUS).
According to Dr. Marisa López-Teijón, the Head of Assisted Reproduction at Institut Marquès and the principal researcher and author of the clinical study: “We have discovered that the formula for foetuses to hear like us is to emit music from the mother’s vagina. They barely hear the sound that reaches them through their mother’s abdomen: the soft tissues of the abdomen and the inside of the mother’s body absorb the soundwaves”.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7647351-how-foetuses-hear-musical-stimuli/
Palo Alto Networks® (NYSE: PANW), the next-generation security company, today announced the latest edition of its Application Usage and Threat Report (AUTR) completed by the Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 Threat Intelligence team.
The report, based on data from more than 7,000 enterprises worldwide, showcases real-world trends in enterprise application usage and critical developments in how attackers are attempting to infect organizations. It also offers practical recommendations for preventing cyberattacks.
Findings highlight the explosion in adoption of software as a service (SaaS) based applications, with the potential to introduce new security risks, or allow unauthorized access to sensitive data. Through the report, security organizations also gain insight into how long-standing and common attack vectors, such as email and executable files, continue to present challenges, as well as global application usage trends for high-risk categories, such as remote access applications.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7049352-palo-alto-networks-autr/
Huawei today opened the 2nd Global Services Forum in Zurich, Switzerland. Under the theme of Re-architecting Infrastructure and Operations for New Growth, the two-day event brings together more than 300 guests from leading global carriers, standards organizations, open source communities, analyst institutions, partners, and media outlets. The forum this year is aiming at sharing experiences, innovations, best practices, and thought leadership to advance new growth on the journey of re-architecting operating model and ICT infrastructure in the fast changing digital era.
Eric Xu, Huawei’s Rotating and Acting CEO, delivered an opening speech titled A Shift in Mindset towards Customer Experience-driven Operations. In his speech, Xu explained the change of customer experience and how this change has influenced the ways carriers transform their operations and infrastructure.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7621151-huawei-global-services-forum/
Women love their hair. They devote time, energy and money to helping it feel and look its best. It’s even a means of self-expression, sometimes more so than a woman’s clothing.
BIOTA Botanicals set out to take the pulse of American women regarding how they really feel about their hair – especially as they (and it) ages.
According to the national consumer survey, most women 30+ have already noticed and worry about the density of their hair as they age. In fact, more women are concerned about thinning-damaged hair than they are about going grey (58% vs. 51%).+ Many say that the condition is embarrassing and a clear-cut sign of getting older, and most agree that it’s an unpreventable fate.
Says Kelli Calabrese, renowned health, beauty and lifestyle expert, “The problem with thinning-damaged hair is not always what’s visible,” she says. “It’s how it rocks a woman’s self-esteem. For women, who put so much emotional value on their hair, it can be absolutely devastating for their self image and emotional well-being.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7598951-biota-fall-beauty-tips/
Children with physical disabilities are twice as likely to be bullied, impacting their educational, physical and emotional development.* In support of National Bullying Prevention Month this October, Shriners Hospitals for Children® and award-winning actor, model and philanthropist, RJ Mitte, are once again partnering to encourage the public to help #CutTheBull.
Teens and adults alike are encouraged to visit CutTheBull.org and see how they can help create a more positive, accepting environment for kids living with disabilities. There, Shriners Hospitals will announce “RJ's Heroes”, honoring individuals who have helped reduce bullying in their communities. Supporters can also share their anti-bullying stories and purchase #CutTheBull t-shirts, with proceeds going to Shriners Hospitals for Children to provide life-changing care to kids.
Born with cerebral palsy, Mitte was bullied as a child and knows firsthand the effects it can have. The doctors and staff at Shriners Hospitals for Children helped Mitte overcome many of the physical effects of cerebral palsy, which made him stronger and able to succeed despite the bullying. Now a successful actor and model, Mitte wants to help other kids with disabilities who may be experiencing the same thing.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7559151-shriners-hospital-cut-the-bull/
Employers around the world can now take the pulse of the labor market in less than a minute thanks to CEB (NYSE: CEB), a best practice insight and technology company, and its new Global Talent Monitor. The company launched the tool today to hundreds of talent executives during its ReimagineHR summit in Chicago, Ill.
CEB’s Global Talent Monitor provides a snapshot of how real employees and job candidates around the world feel about the economy, their own prospects and what motivates them—or doesn’t—when it comes to work. By keying in on six metrics, CEB provides employers topline visibility into employees’ needs and motivations, which help them focus priorities and shape programs based on business need.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7427251-ceb-global-talent-monitor/
On the eve of National Adopt-A-Dog Month, the network is getting into some heavy petting. That’s when dogs and cats will invade the channel to launch MTV2’s #Down2Adopt, an on-air and online campaign to make shelters and rescue groups the go-to choice when looking for your new best friend. MTV2 will showcase adoptable shelter and rescue pets during the year-long campaign as they join forces with The Shelter Pet Project, a national public service program from the Ad Council, The Humane Society of the United States and Maddie’s Fund®.
#Down2Adopt launches with a series of video pet biographies featuring the voices of Kristen Bell, MTV2’s Charlamagne Tha God and MTV2’s Carly Aquilino comically narrating stories of how some dogs and cats found themselves in shelters. It will be all paws on deck when the #Down2Adopt pet bios premiere during an all new episode of MTV2’s “Uncommon Sense with Charlamagne” tonight, Wednesday, September 30, at 11pm ET. Charlamagne and guests including Vinny Guadagnino will share why they’re down to adopt shelter pets and will hang with Charm, an adoptable puppy from St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in New Jersey.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7606951-ad-council-mtv2-adopt-a-dog-month/