Toys 'R' Us, Ikea raise nearly $20M for kids

Holiday sales in 2014 were strong, and enthusiastic shoppers helped Toys “R” Us and Ikea raise nearly $20 million for children's charities.

The Toys “R” Us annual fundraising campaign to benefit the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation was its most successful to date, raising $6.4 million and collecting more than 220,000 toys.

"The record-breaking success of this year's campaign illustrates the true generosity of our customers and the passion our employees have for making kids' holiday dreams a reality through our partnership with Toys for Tots," said Kathleen Waugh, chairman of the Toys"R"Us Children's Fund.

"We are once again honored to assist the organization in creating a magical experience for some of the 14.7 million children living in poverty in the U.S who may have otherwise gone without a toy to open on Christmas morning."

As the largest retail partner in the history of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, Toys "R" Us has now raised over $41.9 million and collected more than 4 million toys since the partnership began in 2004.

At Ikea, millions of customers and employees around the world participated in the IKEA Soft Toys for Education campaign, which raised $12 million for UNICEF and Save the Children educational projects.

"We are grateful for our partnership with IKEA, and thankful for all the support that IKEA employees and customers gave to this year's successful holiday campaign. The funds raised will provide learning to children who are often overlooked in school, or who are entirely left out of the education system. Together, we can create a better and brighter future for them," said Carolyn Miles, president and CEO of Save the Children.

Since 2003, the IKEA Soft Toys for Education program has been focusing on providing quality education to vulnerable children living in poverty in developing countries. To date, it has improved education for more than 11 million children in 46 countries and raised $102 million.