Washington, D. C.—Santa arrived in Tennessee today, sleighing in from his temporary residence at Simon Property Group’s West Town Mall to read “Twas the Night Before Christmas” to 600 children from kindergarten to fifth grade at Northwest Elementary and Bridgeport Elementary schools.  The “Be Merry” mission of his early visit included giving new books to each child, and encouraging Noerr’s BeMerry spirit of caring, sharing, good manners, helping others, and healthy choices.

The event in Newport, Tenn., marks the 2011 national kick-off of “The Santa Cause,” a partnership between Save the Children and The Noerr Programs to encourage and celebrate the act of giving back by emphasizing the importance of education for underserved, struggling children living in rural America. Last year, Noerr raised more than $117,000 to support rural U.S. children in need. This year, The Santa Cause fundraising goal for Save the Children is $250,000.

“There’s no better, more enduring gift than that of a quality education, and for children living in poverty, education is more than a test score; it’s a lifeline,” says Mark Shriver, Senior Vice President of Save the Children’s U.S. Programs. “The Santa Cause partnership with Noerr is giving children in the most underserved, rural communities in America a chance at a bright future.”

Knoxville’s own celebrity Santa is Santa Lee, a graduate of Noerr’s Santa University who holds court each holiday season at West Town Mall in Knoxville.

“We look forward to sharing the caring nature and kindness of Santa through these school visits,” said Judy Noerr, chief executive officer of The Noerr Programs. “This season, we will encourage Santa’s guests at regional shopping centers throughout the country to share his spirit of generosity as well, by supporting Save the Children, and their critical early childhood education programs in the U.S.”

Children can enjoy the Santa Photo Experience at the West Town Mall and Knoxville Mall, and nationwide at all Noerr Santa/Simon Mall locations where donations can be made for Save the Children throughout the holiday season.

About Save the Children
Save the Children works to break the cycle of poverty and improve the lives of children by ensuring they have the resources they need—access to a quality education, healthy foods and opportunities to grow and develop in a nurturing environment. When disasters like hurricanes and wildfires strike, Save the Children is among the first on the ground ensuring the needs of children are being met.
Save the Children’s early childhood education, literacy, physical activity and nutrition, and emergency response programs reached more than 140,000 children and families in the United States last year alone. For more information, visit www.savethechildren.org/usa.


About The Noerr Program
From headquarters in scenic Colorado, The Noerr Programs provides turn-key digital event imaging services and productions including The Santa Photo Experience and Bunny Photo Experience for hundreds of clients, including regional shopping centers, retailers and the legendary Shops at The Plaza Hotel in New York City. Celebrating 23 years in business, every Noerr cast member invests their heart, soul and experience into representing the spirit and essence of the season, building lasting connections with guests through Noerr's innovative retail, social media and altruistic platforms. To learn more, visit www.NoerrPrograms.com or facebook.com/BeMerrySanta.

Save the Children Ranks as a Top U.S. Charity, According to Forbes;
Agency Scores High on Financial Efficiency

WESTPORT, Conn. (Dec. 7, 2011) - Save the Children is ranked as a top U.S. charity when it comes to spending dollars efficiently, according to Forbes' recently released "Top 200 Largest U.S. Charities" for 2011. The Forbes charity list aims to measure a nonprofit's level of fundraising efficiency based on private donations for a given year, as well as its charitable commitment.

"We are really pleased once again to make Forbes' list of top charities," said Carolyn Miles, president & CEO of Save the Children. "As families look to donate to causes this holiday season, guides like the Forbes' list help them make informed decisions."

Save the Children also is recognized as one of the best charities in the U.S. by Charity Navigator. Earlier this year, Charity Navigator gave Save the Children a four star rating - it's highest - for the 10th year in a row.
The independent organization annually reviews more than 5,500 U.S. charities for financial efficiency, accountability and transparency.

One of the key measures in both the Forbes' "Top 200 Largest U.S. Charities"
list and Charity Navigator rankings is the total amount of expenses a charity uses to support the cause. In 2010, Save the Children directed 90 percent of its overall expenses to programs benefiting children and kept the private cost to raise a dollar below 10 cents, one of the best ratios among nonprofit organizations.

Save the Children is the leading, independent organization that creates lasting change for children in need in the United States and around the world.