FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OnTray Gives Parents Extra Hand, Or Two, When They Shop With Little Ones

Innovative and award-winning snap-on shopping cart tray is available in more than 200 stores in U.S. and abroad 

Columbus, OH (June 22, 2009) _  Every parent needs an extra set of hands -- especially during shopping trips with little ones.  OnTray, an award-winning and ingenious snap-on tray for shopping carts, keeps little ones busy and stocked with snacks or play things while parents do the shopping.  OnTray also can be used to hold things such as coupons, keys and cell phones, making it a genius multi-tasker just like today's modern parents.  The idea for OnTray (ontray2go.com) was born on a day when Laura Hamrick spent an exhausting and unsuccessful grocery shopping trip handing out snacks one-by-one to her three small boys, all the while trying to look through coupons and fill the cart.  "I did some research on the web and found there wasn't a product available that would free up adult hands to shop and keep little hands busy. OnTray was born out of necessity,'' Hamrick said. "OnTray encourages your child to feed or entertain himself with what you place on the tray, allowing you to shop with minimal distraction and it also can be used in conjunction with popular cart seat covers, which is convenient.''

Three years after that shopping trip, OnTray is sold online and in more than 200 stores in the United States, Canada, Australia and France. This summer the patent-pending product also will be sold at Babies ‘R Us and Buy Buy Baby stores, via OnTray's national distributor, Hamco.

OnTray, retailing for $7, easily snaps on to the standard shopping cart handlebar.  Available in four bright colors, it is microwave and dishwasher safe and fits easily in a diaper bag or purse. The convenient cover keeps items tucked inside during travel.  OnTray is manufactured in the USA of FDA-approved plastic, free of harmful BPAs, and it meets all new requirements of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, so parents know their toddlers and pre-schoolers can use  OnTray with confidence.

From its beginning, OnTray has been featured and praised by business experts such as StartupNation and The Big Idea with Donnie Deutsch, national media and parents everywhere:  "I don’t know how many times I’ve been trying to move quickly through the shopping aisles while trying to fish crackers out of a crumpled bag for my daughter. With this secure tray, both she and I are happier. This is brilliant!'' wrote a reviewer for Southern New Hampshire Parents. And praise even from celebrities such as Jason Reitman, the director of Juno, and father of Josie: "Fun product! We'll keep it in our car for shopping trips!''

Hamrick, who never intended to become an inventor, says she gets great feedback all the time.  "I love when parents tell me OnTray is a sanity saver for them while they are shopping with their young children,'' Hamrick said."I know it is something I don’t shop without and I hope it’s a staple item in moms’ purses and diaper bags.”

More about Laura Hamrick and OnTray

Laura Hamrick invented OnTray in 2006. She has degree in Early Childhood Development and is a former sales executive. Hamrick lives in the Columbus area with her husband and three sons, where she is founder of the Women’s Networking Group of Central Ohio.  OnTray (www.ontray2go.com) has received numerous awards including the New Parents Guide Seal of Approval and was selected as one of The Top 10 Most Innovative 2007 by StartupNation in their Home Based 100 Search. Connect with Hamrick and OnTray through Twitter at @OnTray2Go and Facebook, www.Facebook.com/OnTray. 

Contact:

Laura Hamrick

e-mail laurahamrick@42kids.com

phone: 614-313-0530 or 888-208-9240

Carrie Weir

WeirPR

carrie@weirpr.com

615-429-5538

ONTRAY™ GOES HOLLYWOOD

"EVERYBODY WINS AT THE OSCARS®" - NOMINEE GIFT BAGS TO INCLUDE WESTERVILLE COMPANY'S TODDLER PRODUCT

Columbus, Ohio  OnTray is going to Hollywood, and the designer and manufacturer of the patent-pending product is ready for its close up. The Westerville-based company was selected to include their signature product, OnTray in the "Everyone Wins At The Oscars" nominee gift baskets given to the non-winning Oscar nominees in each of the six major Academy Award categories (Best Actor/Actress, Best Supporting Actor/Actress, Best Picture and Best Director). These bags will be delivered on February 25, 2008 , the day after the Oscar telecast.

Mom-inventor Laura Hamrick developed OnTray out of her frustration with grocery shopping while feeding her toddler. "I got so tired of trying to feed and entertain my child while grocery shopping so I decided to do something about it," Hamrick explains. "The plastic container easily attaches to a shopping cart handlebar and encourages your child to feed themselves, allowing you to shop with minimal distraction." Hamrick adds, "It can even be used with a seat cover for the cart."

Lash Fary is president of Distinctive Assets, the company that creates and distributes gift baskets to the Oscar nominees, as well as presenters/performers at many of Hollywood's top award show.

Fary notes, "We always try to include child-oriented products in our gift bags given the ongoing baby boom in Hollywood. As soon as I saw OnTray, I not only wanted one for myself (as I love to snack while grocery shopping!) but knew that our celebrity clientele would flip for them. It's so much fun to find unique and clever products such as OnTray that truly are the perfect present for those who have everything."

"This is an incredible opportunity for OnTray to showcase the product in the national spotlight," Hamrick says. "I am thrilled to include my product in the gift baskets."

The gift baskets will be provided to celebrities regardless of whether or not there is a traditional ceremony, given the current writer's strike.

OnTray is made of FDA Approved Plastic and is microwave and dishwasher safe. Made in the USA, it comes in four colors including true blue, going green, pretty in pink and mellow yellow.

The company currently sells its product to baby retailers, online boutiques, gift stores and grocery stores around the country. Local retailers carrying OnTray include Hey Diddle Diddle and It's All In The Name, both in Westerville.

Packaged individually, OnTray retails for $6.99. Gift sets are available for $11.99. Products are available for purchase on the company's web site.

The "Everybody Wins at the Oscars" Gift Bag has no affiliation with A.M.P.A.S or the official Oscar telecast.