Pardee Homes and American Girl Play New Roles
Movie Premiere Venue Features 2008 Playhouse
Los Angeles—Pardee Homes and American Girl®, the maker of books, dolls and accessories that celebrate girls, team up for the third consecutive year to bring American Girl-themed playhouses to Project Playhouse®, the signature fundraising event for HomeAid. American Girl character doll Kit Kittredge is the inspiration for the 2008 playhouses—and for “Kit Kittredge, An American Girl,” the first major motion picture based on the American Girl story.
Picturehouse, a joint venture of HBO and New Line, will premiere the movie Saturday, June 14, at The Grove in Los Angeles. “American Girl Kit’s Home on Abbott Place,” will also make its premiere at The Grove, with installation and a June 7 grand opening event.
“We are delighted to join again with American Girl on behalf of HomeAid, and very pleased that our playhouse will play a role at The Grove,” said Pardee Homes President and CEO Mike McGee. “Kit’s concern for the less fortunate, her determination to make a difference and her desire to spread the word are all exactly right for the Project Playhouse fund-raiser and the HomeAid mission to provide housing for America’s homeless families, including more than one million children.”
McGee said Pardee Homes’ Los Angeles/Ventura division has created and built “Kit’s Home on Abbott Place,” adding that The Grove display will highlight activities planned by American Girl to celebrate Kit’s upcoming movie. To be screened in selected theaters before its July 2 HBO airing and in wider theatrical release, “Kit Kittredge, An American Girl” is produced by Julia Roberts and stars Academy Award nominee Abigail Breslin. The movie is based on Meet Kit, 1934, written by Valerie Tripp. To view the trailer or learn more about the movie premiere, visit www.americangirl.com or www.pardeehomes.com.
In addition to its display role at The Grove, “Kit’s Home on Abbott Place” will be featured as part of diverse fundraising activities of Project Playhouse. For HomeAid Los Angeles/Ventura, this includes a starring role as the chapter’s Opportunity House. The Opportunity House drawing is held in conjunction with the annual Project Playhouse auction event, which this year includes three additional playhouses, created by three homebuilding companies.
Kit’s Home on Abbott Place” will also be replicated for venues in Chicago, Dallas and New York, where Pardee Homes joins with HomeAid to support the housing development programs. All three cities are home to American Girl retail outlets; Pardee Homes and American Girl aim to help strengthen HomeAid’s national profile through co-op promotions in these markets. Visit www.projectplayhosue.com for more information on the Playhouse activities schedule.
Pardee Homes Los Angeles/Ventura construction arm will build a total of five playhouses for the 2008 Project Playhouse; these include a playhouse in Riverside, part of Pardee Homes’ Inland Empire homebuilding region. “We anticipate especially high interest in all of the playhouses because of the movie premiere,” said Joyce Mason, Pardee Homes vice president of marketing. “We plan to host related special events at selected Pardee Homes model home centers to help spread the word about this wonderful fundraiser and the HomeAid shelters it helps support.”
Award-winning Bassenian/Lagoni Architects and Color Design Art will join with Pardee Homes and American Girl to create the playhouses. Featuring cottage architecture and a unique tree house element, the kid-sized playhouses are custom-crafted and rich with such Kit Kittredge touches as her roll top desk, typewriter, camera, telephone, a mini-armoire, Cincinnati Reds memorabilia and of course, Grace, the basset hound.
Stacey Guttman, general manager of American Girl Place® Los Angeles said American Girl’s connection with HomeAid furthers her company’s long-standing commitment to children’s charities nationwide. “HomeAid and the building industry are dedicated to making a real difference in the lives of families and children, which perfectly complements our mission at American Girl,” she said. “Joining with a company like Pardee Homes in this worthy cause is truly meaningful, and we are especially pleased to showcase Kit’s playhouse at The Grove, home to an American Girl flagship store.”
A leading national non-profit provider of housing for today’s homeless, HomeAid builds and renovates transitional housing for families and individuals who have been rendered temporarily homes due to job loss, domestic violence, medical crisis or some other circumstance beyond their control. HomeAid works with the nation’s top builders, who donate in-kind labor, materials and services; and partners with homeless service providers that secure housing, support and skills to temporarily homeless families and individuals, helping them regain self-sufficiency. To learn more about HomeAid, visit www.homeaid.org.
Established in 1921, Pardee Homes is one of the nation’s most prominent multi-regional builders, with homebuilding operations in Corona, Sacramento, San Diego, Valencia and Las Vegas The company is noted for quality master-planned communities, green and sustainable building practices and dedication to the educational and civic goals of the communities in which it builds. Company honors in this regard include awards and commendations from HomeAid, the National Housing Endowment and the Hearthstone Humanitarian Awards. The company website is www.pardeehomes.com.
American Girl, Inc., is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. (NYSE:MAT, www.mattel.com), the world’s leading toy company. Since American Girl’s inception in 1986, the company has devoted its entire business to celebrating the potential of girls ages 3 to 12. American Girl encourages girls to dream, to grow, to aspire, to create, and to imagine through a wide range of engaging and insightful books, age-appropriate and educational products, and unforgettable experiences. In meeting its mission with a vigilant eye toward quality and service, American Girl has earned the loyal following of millions of girls and the praise and trust of parents and educators. To learn more about American Girl or to request a free catalogue, call 1-800-845-0005 or visit www.americangirl.com.
