For most children, choosing a costume every year is one of the most exciting traditions of Halloween. But, for a growing number of families, Halloween is a tradition they can no longer afford. With unemployment at current levels and the increased cost of participation, buying a costume is a less of a priority - especially since the child will wear it once, maybe twice, during one week of the year. At the same time, there are more fortunate kids with costumes to share. Kids grow and their interests change "“ rarely will they wear the same costumes from year to year.

Based on these circumstances, Mother Nature Network (mnn.com), the Atlanta-based leader in news and information related to the environment and responsible living, has launched, "TREAT-OR-TREAT: The Costume Recycling Program". The new initiative encourages families to donate their old costumes and give them to children unable to afford new ones.

Families simply mail clean, gently used costumes to MNN headquarters. Working with nonprofit organizations, MNN will match the donated costumes with the appropriate recipients.

"After Halloween, most costumes are either put in a closet or discarded," said Mother Nature Network CEO Joel Babbit. "We wanted to offer an alternative that can bring a little happiness to children who are less fortunate. It’s a whole different way of defining 'recycling'."

All costumes should be sent to Mother Nature Network: 191 Peachtree Street #4075, Atlanta, Georgia 30303.

About Mother Nature Network

Launched in January 2009, Mother Nature Network (http://www.mnn.com) is a global leader in providing environmental and social responsibility news and information. With 2 million visitors each month from over 225 different countries, MNN is now the world's most visited for-profit website out of the more than 7,100 ranked in Alexa Information Services Environmental category. While other sites present related information in technical and academic terms, MNN is designed for a mainstream consumer and business audience. The majority of its content is original and covers a comprehensive scope of topics with engaging, easy-to-understand graphics, videos, interactive features, and articles. MNN also takes a very different approach from the traditional advertising model followed by most sites and has attracted many of the world's top companies as sponsors including AFLAC, American Express, AT&T, The Coca-Cola Company, Dell, GE, Georgia-Pacific, MillerCoors, PGI, Pfizer, Siemens, CSX, and Southern Company. It has been labeled "The New Green CNN" by Time, "The USA Today of Sustainability" by Fast Company, and "Green Machine" by The Associated Press; was selected as one of Newsweek's "Top Picks" for 2009; and was voted "Best Great Green Idea" at Fortune Magazine’s 2010 Green Summit.

Mother Nature Network

Mother Nature Network

Mother Nature Network is a leading source for mainstream environmental news and information. With eight different channels – Earth Matters, Health, Lifestyle, Green Tech, Eco Biz & Money, Food & Drink, Your Home and Family – MNN provides a broad range of information that is accurate, engaging and unbiased. With visitors from more than 200 countries, MNN.com is the fastest growing environmental news site in the world. For more information, please visit www.mnn.com.

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