Receives Hollywood Star And Other Tributes For 80th Anniversary (NAPSA)—Winnie the Pooh, one of the world’s best-loved char- Da) Preto acters, was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame commemorating his 80th Anniversary, becoming one of a select few animated characters to ever receive the honor. Here are a few fun facts about this tubby little cubby and his friends that you may not know: The name Edward Bear may not be familiar to you, but that was the original name AA Milne’s son, Christopher (himself the inspiration for Christopher Robin), gave his stuffed bear before renaming him Winnie the Pooh. The first Winnie the Pooh story appeared on Christmas Eve 1925 in a story called “The Wrong Sort of Bees.” Christopher Robin’s favorite food is birthday cake. Kanga is the only female character to appear in any of the Winnie the Pooh books. Walt Disney obtained the motion picture and other rights of Winnie the Pooh in 1961. Winnie the Pooh madehis theatrical debut in Disney’s featurette “Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree”in 1966. There have been at least three actors to voice Winnie the Pooh: Sterling Holloway, Hal Smith and Jim Cummings. Next to Winnie the Pooh, Tigger is kids’ next favorite char- Though his head is filled with fluff, it is Winnie the Pooh’s sim- ple values such as friendship that have made him favorite for more than 80 years. acter of the Hundred Acre Wood. Winnie the Pooh entertainment and products can be found in more than 38 countries and 29 languages. For Pooh’s 80th Anniversary, Walt Disney Home Entertainment released “Pooh’s Grand Adventure—The Search For Christopher Robin” out of the Disney Vault for the first time ever, digitally remastered on DVD and currently in stores. Also for the 80th, Disneycreated Pooh Wishbandsto benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The Pooh Wishband set will be sold on WinniethePooh.com and DisneyShopping.com. For more information, visit the Web at www.winniethepoch.com.
