Toys 'R' Us, Inc. Announces Record Results for 2006 Toys for Tots Campaign Benefiting America's Neediest Children
Largest Retail Partnership in Marine Toys for Tots Foundation History Helped Bring More Smiles and Toys to Children Across the Country This Holiday Season
WAYNE, N.Y., Jan. 18, 2007 -- Today, Toys "R" Us, Inc. announced that its 2006 holiday campaign benefiting Toys for Tots was the most successful in its three-year partnership, raising over $3.5 million and collecting more than 580,000 toys. As the largest retail partner in the history of Toys for Tots, the company collected toy and cash donations at all of its Toys "R" Us and Babies "R" Us stores nationwide and online at Toysrus.com. These contributions helped bring smiles and Christmas gifts to many of the 13 million children living in poverty throughout the United States.
"As we embarked upon this year's campaign, Toys "R" Us, Inc. made a commitment to Toys for Tots to dramatically elevate the amount of cash and toy donations we collected this holiday season," said Jerry Storch, Chairman and CEO, Toys "R" Us, Inc. "Through aggressive marketing programs and innovative new initiatives, our campaign grew nearly three-fold over last year, and we are proud that our support helped bring substantially more Christmas toys to America's neediest children."
In addition to the company's fundraising efforts this holiday season, Toys "R" Us served as the "Giving Headquarters," launching an educational campaign entitled the "ABCs of Giving" to help parents teach kids about the joy of giving. Through a specially created storybook, Toys "R" Us brought charitable giving to life with the help of celebrity moms Brooke Shields, Jennie Garth and Maria Celeste Arraras, as they taught local children in New York, Los Angeles and Miami about the importance of giving back to their communities.
"Seeing the smiles on the kids' faces when they receive a toy is incredibly heartwarming, and we are grateful to have a partner like Toys "R" Us, who truly understands how magical a toy is in the hands of a child," said Lt. Gen. Matthew T. Cooper, USMC (Ret), President and CEO, Marine Toys for Tots Foundation.
The Toys "R" Us, Inc. toy drive benefiting Toys for Tots ran for nine weeks from October through December and engaged employees, customers and local communities in the company's fundraising efforts. Toys and cash raised in each community stayed in that community to benefit needy children in the area.
About Toys "R" Us, Inc.
Toys "R" Us is the world's leading specialty toy retailer. Currently it sells merchandise through more than 1,500 stores, including 587 stores in the U.S. and 677 international toy stores, which includes licensed and franchise stores, and through its Internet site at www.toysrus.com. Babies "R" Us is the largest baby product specialty store chain in the world and a leader in the juvenile industry, and sells merchandise through 248 stores in the U.S. as well as on the Internet at www.babiesrus.com.
About the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation
The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, an IRS recognized 501 (c)(3) not-for- profit, public charity is the authorized fundraising and support organization for the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program. The Foundation provides the funding and support needed for successful annual toy collection and distribution campaigns. The Foundation is located at Marine Corps Base, Quantico, Virginia. Local Marine Corps Reserve units and volunteer organizations collect and distribute toys in nearly 565 communities covering all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. For more information, visit www.toysfortots.org.