OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 15 -- School children wondering what they can do to help those in need can now become involved in a project -- growing out of an award-winning, Internet-based educational program -- that will deliver $500,000 of toys and educational materials to a developing country.
The Boomerang Box(R), a 40-foot cargo container decorated with colorful artwork done by children, is about to begin a new adventure focused on how people help other people in time of need. The project is sponsored by global container-transportation company APL. The adventure is called the "Great Toy Challenge," and will run from October 15 through November 21.
The Boomerang Box will be loaded in mid-November with toys and learning materials donated by Toys "R" Us valued at $500,000, and will be shipped to a mystery destination, where the toys will be distributed to needy children by international relief organization CARE. Participating classrooms will be able to use their geography skills to guess the mystery destination, and will have a chance to win a cash donation from APL for the charity of their choice.
Beginning this week, students around the world can log on to
http://www.apl.com/boomerangbox and guess the mystery destination by deciphering the clues that are posted on the Boomerang Box Great Toy Challenge link. Teachers may send in their classrooms' guess via the Internet only. The web site also features a wealth of curriculum materials on geography, trade, and international relief.
"International trade helps unite countries around the world," said Ed Aldridge, APL's president for the Americas. "We think it's vital that school children understand the role that trade and international relief efforts play in our lives." Although planning for the Great Toy Challenge was underway early in the year, Aldridge noted that the project took on even more meaning after recent events.
"The partnership between companies and organizations in the Great Toy Challenge project is just one of many such collaborations," Aldridge continued. "We are deeply appreciative of Toys "R" Us and CARE for their support."
According to Aldridge, APL will make donations of $500 each to local,
national or international charity or relief organizations on behalf of ten classrooms that correctly guess the container's mystery destination. Winning classrooms will nominate the charities.
The toy shipment bound for the mystery country contains educational and
learning materials including puzzles, crayons, markers, art paper, plastic and wooden blocks, toddler learning toys, games and playground-type items
including basketball hoops, soccer goals and jump ropes. "Toys "R" Us is
pleased to offer a terrific opportunity for children to participate in a fun event while contributing to the well-being of other children around the
world," said Michael Jacobs, Vice President of World Wide Transportation.
CARE, which has agreed to distribute the special shipment, reaches out to people whose lives are devastated by emergencies or poverty and helps them survive and improve their lives. CARE focuses its approach at the family and community levels.
"Children are the first to be hurt by poverty or tragedy," said Dr. Marshall Burke, Vice President, CARE. "These toys and learning materials will help us bring hope to children in a country that has suffered from war and natural disasters. They will be part of our efforts to rebuild schools and help children prepare for a promising future. In the process, students from all over the world will be able to learn how they can help others."
About the Boomerang Box Program
Over the last four years, the 40-foot Boomerang Box has traveled over 140,000 miles teaching young people around the world about global trade, transportation, geography and the people and customs of other lands. The name "Boomerang Box" refers to the way in which raw materials, parts and finished goods return from one continent to another through international trade.
Students in classrooms around the world track the Boomerang Box via the Internet (http://www.apl.com/boomerangbox) as part of APL's interactive learning program.
The program's easy-to-use curriculum is packaged in three levels for students of ages 7 to 17. The program is currently in use at more than 200 schools worldwide, and the Web site averages 1,000 "hits" per month. APL has received email communications about the Boomerang Box from teachers and students on every continent and in 35 U.S. states.
In addition to the 40-foot Boomerang Box container, which students can track around the world, there is a 20-foot version known as Boomerang Box Junior; it is a virtual classroom that travels to participating schools.
The Boomerang Box Web site allows teachers and school children to track the container's movements around the world and learn about numerous aspects of international trade, logistics and transportation.
Cargoes carried in the Boomerang Box have included grain shipped for CARE from the U.S. to India; a decorative pavilion transported from Chongquing, China for the Chinese Garden in Seattle, Washington; almonds from California to Nhava Sheva, India; and computer monitors sent from Korea to Hamburg, Germany; among many other shipments.
About APL -- APL (http://www.apl.com) provides customers around the world with container transportation services through a network combining high-quality intermodal operations with state-of-the-art information technology. APL is a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore-based Neptune Orient Lines, a global transportation and logistics company engaged in shipping and related businesses.
About CARE -- CARE (http://www.care.org) is one of the world's largest private international relief and development organizations. Founded in the aftermath of World War II, CARE enabled Americans to send more than 100 million CARE Packages(R) to survivors of the conflict in Europe and Asia. CARE has become a leader in sustainable development and emergency aid, reaching tens of millions of people each year in more than 60 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. For more than 50 years now, CARE has been a vehicle of American generosity abroad.
About Toys "R" Us -- (http://www.inc.toysrus.com) The world's leading resource for kids, families and fun currently operates 1,584 stores: 704 toy stores in the United States, 494 international toy stores, including franchise stores, 196 Kids "R" Us children's clothing stores, 150 Babies "R" Us stores and 40 Imaginarium stores. The company also has Internet sites at http://www.toysrus.com, http://www.babiesrus.com and http://www.imaginarium.com.
