(Manchester, CT) -- Today, Bob's Discount Furniture, the fastest growing furniture retailer in the northeast, with stores in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island, invited residents throughout Connecticut to join Bob's Discount Furniture TV Personality Cathy Poulin and the Bob's Discount Furniture Community Outreach Team at this weekend's "Penguin Plunge" to benefit Special Olympics.

Sponsored by Bob's Discount Furniture, the event is set to take place on Saturday, March 8, 2008 at Compo Beach, Westport, CT. Registration begins at 12 Noon and the plunge begins at 2 p.m. Penguins have the opportunity to earn incentive prizes, including travel vouchers and awards will be presented recognizing the top fund-raising individual, team and school as well as the participant with the best costume. Towels, water shoes and beach blankets are recommended for plungers who must be age 8 or over. Registration forms and waivers for those under 18 are required, as is a minimum donation of $50 to plunge.

"It's a cool and fun event every year. Last year, there were over 370 penguins. I hope this year we can get over 400 people to take a plunge which will benefit Special Olympics. I look forward to meeting everybody this Saturday along with the Bob's Community Outreach Van. Since creating the Bob's Community Outreach Van this past October 2007, we've logged hundreds of miles, met a lot more people and most importantly -- brought smiles to so many families through the donations we have made during our van stops," explained Cathy Poulin, TV personality, Bob's Discount Furniture. "This Saturday, we'll be giving away warm food and other goodies to all of the courageous participants."

The event will help in the mission to empower individuals with intellectual disabilities to become physically fit, productive and respected members of society through sports training and competitions for athletes and partners. Brave souls with warm hearts will run, jump and dive into Connecticut's chilly waters donning only a swimsuit, bow tie and their courage to benefit Special Olympics Connecticut. Penguins solicit donations from family, friends and local businesses to "take the plunge". Incentive prizes for different levels of money raised and awards will be given for creativity in a number of categories. Penguins can plunge alone or as a group. To register online, go to www.soct.org and click on Penguin Plunge click on "Westport". For more information, call Special Olympics at (203) 380-9990.

All proceeds from the Penguin Plunge go directly to support Special Olympics Connecticut's year-round sports training and athletic competition programs for more than 6,500 children and adults with intellectual disabilities and Special Partners, throughout the state of Connecticut. For more information, visit www.soct.org.

The Bob's Discount Furniture Community Outreach Van travels throughout the northeast making surprise visits to nonprofit organizations and "performing random acts of kindness" by donating needed goods and services. From child and senior citizen support programs to wheelchair and educational supplies, the Bob's Discount Furniture Community Outreach Van has already visited organizations in Maine to New Jersey and is constantly seeking new opportunities. For more information or to inquire about van appearance, email Cathy Poulin at cathy.poulin@mybobs.com.

About Bob's Discount Furniture
The fast-growing furniture retailer with 29 stores located throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island, Bob's Discount Furniture has built strong brand awareness and customer loyalty through its unique shopping environment, customer service commitment and everyday low prices. First-time visitors are pleasantly surprised by the comfortable atmosphere and vast selection of quality furniture that surpasses their "discount" expectations. As a part of the overall shopping experience, many of the locations have complimentary cafés featuring gourmet coffee, fresh baked cookies and candy, while other locations offer home theater and video arcade entertainment. Known for their unique style of television and radio advertising, Bob Kaufman, president, and Cathy Poulin, public relations director, have been inviting customers for over a decade to visit their nearest Bob's Discount Furniture store. For more information, visit www.mybobs.com.

About Bob's Discount Furniture Charitable Foundation
Through the Bob's Discount Furniture Charitable Foundation and its many charitable contributions and sponsorships, Bob, Cathy and all of Bob's Discount Furniture employees support hundreds of nonprofit organizations. Among the many supported charities are Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters, American Cancer Society, March of Dimes, Salvation Army Marshall House Youth and Family Emergency Shelter, National Conference for Community Justice, American Red Cross, Connecticut Children's Medical Center and many more. In March 2006, Poulin participated in the "Dance for a Cause" competition in Hartford to raise money and awareness for the National Pajama Program and Lil' Iguana's Children's Safety Foundation. Poulin was also awarded Woman of the Year for 2006 by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. For more information about the foundation and Bob's Discount Furniture, visit www.mybobs.com/charity.