August 28, 2008 08:05 ET

StoresOnline Sponsors Utah Open Airways Program

OREM, UT--(Marketwire - August 28, 2008) - StoresOnline announces it has agreed to continue its partnership with The Utah Open Airways for Schools (OAS). StoresOnline previously provided funding for the 2007-2008 school year.

OAS is a powerful program that empowers children with asthma to better understand and manage their condition, as well as provides parents and teachers with support tools for assisting children with Asthma.

The OAS program helps hundreds of children every year become "Asthma Experts," as they learn the necessary techniques and strategies to help them manage their asthma so they can do all the things their peers can do, without feeling embarrassed or afraid. The OAS program is free to schools and to the children who participate, but it is not free to the American Lung Association of Utah (ALAU), which runs the program.

With StoresOnline's support, OAS taught classes in 41 local area schools, reaching over 350 children -- more than OAS has been able to teach in several years. Clint Sanderson, VP of Seminar Sales for StoresOnline and a Board Member of the Utah Lung Association commented, "StoresOnline is thrilled to support and enable such a wonderful cause. The OAS program empowers children with Asthma with the right tools and training to not only survive their Asthma but really thrive!"

Cherissa Wood, Program Manager for OAS said, "Starting out, many of these kids don't want anyone to know they have asthma, because it labels them or makes them feel embarrassed. However, after attending OAS, they see they are not alone and they gain the skills and confidence to fully participate in activities they previously had avoided."

One parent commented, "This program helps empower the children to take ownership of their asthma, and learn key skills and techniques to help them in everyday situations. They learn about their medications and the importance of taking them when and how they should."

Another parent shared, "My daughter never complains about taking her 'puffer' (inhaler) in public anymore -- she knows more about her symptoms, and knows what she needs to do in any possible situation. Before the OAS program, my daughter used to call home every day from school, complaining about her asthma. After the OAS program, she stopped calling home, was no longer scared to take her medications, and she learned strategies to help her relax when she was having a difficult time breathing."

The OAS program also helps parents better understand and support their child's asthma. Each lesson is designed with a take-home assignment or message the child is to share with their family. They are encouraged to talk about what they learned and practice new techniques.

One volunteer instructor related that a few children from her OAS class helped out a fellow OAS classmate during gym. The child was having a difficult time breathing during an activity, but the teacher didn't know the child had asthma. The other children from the OAS class told the teacher that the child had asthma, and needed to take a break. The child was able to take a break and as a result did not have an asthma attack.

Cherissa Wood shared the future vision for OAS saying, "It is our goal to expand this program in the coming years so more schools and children outside the Wasatch front have the opportunity to benefit from OAS. We look forward to our continued relationship with StoresOnline and encourage other businesses to get involved in this life changing program."

Mr. Sanderson concluded, "As a business, StoresOnline is committed to making a difference by providing entrepreneurs and small business owners the tools and training they need to survive and thrive on the internet. Getting behind and supporting an entrepreneurially driven program like OAS is a natural extension of our company values as OAS is also focused on providing the right tools and training so children with asthma can also survive and thrive in school and in life."

About StoresOnline

StoresOnline provides eCommerce solutions to entrepreneurs and small businesses enabling them to market and sell their business products or ideas via the Internet. Headquartered in Orem, Utah, the company sells its proprietary StoresOnline software and training services which help users build successful Internet strategies to market products, accept online orders, analyze marketing performance, and manage pricing and customers. In addition to software, StoresOnline offers site development, web hosting and marketing products. StoresOnline typically reaches its target audience through a concentrated direct marketing effort to fill Preview Sessions, in which a StoresOnline expert reviews the product opportunities and costs. These sessions lead to a follow-up Workshop Conference, where product and technology experts train potential users on the software and encourage them to make purchases.