FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 14, 2016

For more information, contact:

Peggy Brown, Manager

Bluffton Ten Thousand Villages
115 S. Main St
Bluffton, OH 45817
419-358-7233
bluffton@tenthousandvillages.com

Ten Thousand Villages to Plant 10,000 Trees

Bluffton store to partner with Arbor Day Foundation to Plant Trees
(BLUFFTON, OH) Ten Thousand Villages, fair trade retailer at 115 S. Main St., will
participate in a nationwide campaign to plant 10,000 trees in our national forests. The program,
which will start April 14 and run through May 1, will invite customers to donate $1 to plant a
tree in a national forest through the Arbor Day Foundation. Ten Thousand Villages in Bluffton
hopes customers will partner to plant 150 trees on behalf of our community. Ten Thousand
Villages corporate offices based in Akron, Pa., will donate 1,000 trees to kick-off the campaign.
Store Manager Peggy Brown said, We are excited about this opportunity to partner with the
Arbor Day Foundation to plant 10,000 trees because it allows us to make a positive impact on
our environment. Brown continued, As an organization, we are committed to environmental
responsibility and sustainable sourcing of products. We also make a positive impact in the lives
of artisans around the world every day. Every purchase at our store provides vital, fair income
which allows artisans to provide food, clothing and education for their families.
The campaign kicks off an in-store Earth Day Celebration Thursday, April 14 through Thursday,
April 28 and connects to the international Earth Day theme of Trees for the Earth (#Trees4Earth).

Other events planned for the Earth Day Celebration include select items being 22% off April 1428, in honor of the April 22 annual event celebrated worldwide.
As a fair trade retailer, Ten Thousand Villages is committed to sourcing products made with
sustainable materials and methods. The majority of the products customers will find at Ten
Thousand Villages in Bluffton are produced in the most environmentally friendly way possible
by hand. Many artisans recycle materials such as newspaper, post-consumer magazines and glass
to create innovative and functional products. Ten Thousand Villages product line includes a wide
range of items made with natural materials, from bamboo to water weeds.
Groups source renewable, natural materials to keep resources in balance. Artisans use local raw
materials whenever possible, and many artisans use natural dyes. Several artisan partners also
source sustainable wood, or "good wood," from farms that replant trees after they are harvested.
For more information about Ten Thousand Villages or the campaign to plant 10,000 trees, please
contact Peggy Brown, store manager, at (419) 358-7233 or visit
Facebook.com/BlufftonTenThousandVillages. Ten Thousand Villages is open Mon-Fri 9-5, Sat
9-3.
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For nearly 70 years, Ten Thousand Villages has established long-term buying relationships in places where skilled
artisans lack opportunities for stable income. The commitment to support artisans around the globe is strengthened
through fair trade compensation practices including cash advances and prompt payments. As the company continues
to grow, Ten Thousand Villages has deliberately married the concept of fair trade with healthy and environmentally
sustainable business practices. From store operations to product sourcing to marketing practices, Ten Thousand
Villages strives to meet the triple bottom line of economic, environmental and social sustainability.
Founded in 1946, Ten Thousand Villages has grown from the trunk of founder Edna Ruth Byler's car to a network of
more than 390 retail outlets throughout the United States. Ten Thousand Villages is an exceptional source for unique
handmade gifts, jewelry, home decor, art and sculpture and personal accessories made by artisans in Asia, Africa,
Latin America and the Middle East. One of the world's largest fair trade organizations and a founding member of the
World Fair Trade Organization and the Fair Trade Federation, Ten Thousand Villages strives to improve the
livelihood of tens of thousands of disadvantaged artisans in 35 countries. Product sales help pay for food, education,
healthcare and housing for artisans who would otherwise be unemployed or underemployed. For more information,
visit tenthousandvillages.com.