Toys“R”Us raises $4.6 million for kids at N.Y. gala

Leaders from the toy and baby products industries came together with celebrities in New York City to celebrate the 2015 Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund Gala and raise an astounding $4.6 million for kids.

Emmy and Tony Award-winning comedian Martin Short hosted the event, which also featured a performance by four-time Grammy winner Lenny Kravitz.

“Over the last 30 years, the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund Gala has allowed us to proudly showcase the fund’s most significant efforts, while recognizing the charitable organizations we support,” said Kathleen Waugh, chairman of the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund. “Toys“R”Us® founder Charles Lazarus had a simple goal of helping improve the well-being of children, which led to the fund’s first gala in 1985. As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of this very special evening, we are grateful for the continued support of the toy and baby products industries and delighted to have raised nearly $115 million to help kids in need.”

The Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund and Toys"R"Us Inc. recently announced a significant partnership expansion with the Special Olympics focused on #MyFirstSportsMoment. With an overall grant of $1.75 million from the fund, Toys“R”Us will serve as a sponsor of the 2015 Special Olympics World Games, to be held in Los Angeles from July 25 to Aug. 2, and will support the organization’s five-year plan to strengthen and expand the Young Athletes Program in the U.S. and around the globe.

In addition to its support of Special Olympics, the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund has provided annual grants totaling over $20 million to numerous other organizations that advocate for children of all abilities including Autism Speaks, Muscular Dystrophy Association, the National Down Syndrome Society and the Pujols Family Foundation, among others.

Some highlights of the company’s key philanthropic initiatives from the past year:

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation

In 2014, Toys“R”Us partnered for the fourth consecutive year with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF), an organization dedicated to finding a cure for childhood cancer. What started as a front yard lemonade stand hosted by 4-year-old Alexandra “Alex” Scott, who was diagnosed with cancer just before her first birthday, has turned into a national effort continued today by children and families who host lemonade stands across the country each year. The company’s in-store and online fundraising campaign raised more than $2.2 million for the organization and brought awareness to the importance of supporting ALSF and finding a cure for pediatric cancer through the #Stir4ACure social media initiative. Since the partnership began in 2011, donations from customers, Toys“R”Us, Inc. and the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund together have provided more than $8.3 million to the organization.

Disaster Response and Relief Through Save the Children

As part of an ongoing commitment to help children and families in times of crisis, the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund and Toys“R”Us, Inc. have provided Save the Children with nearly $5 million in monetary and product donations to aid in the organization’s efforts to help protect children, ensure their safety in shelters and support their emotional recovery during times of disaster. In 2014, to help the organization prepare for future events, Toys“R”Us stores began to offer a reusable bag showcasing Save the Children artwork, created by a young child, with one dollar from the purchase of each bag benefiting the organization’s Domestic Emergency Fund.

Make-A-Wish America

For the past 17 years, the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund and Toys“R”Us, Inc. have partnered with Make-A-Wish America to help fulfill wishes for hundreds of “wish children” across the country. A visit to Toys“R”Us is a top request for many of these kids who are facing life-threatening medical conditions, and throughout the year, Toys“R”Us stores nationwide create celebratory shopping events. In addition to these very special outings, the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund and Toys“R”Us, Inc. have supported the mission of Make-A-Wish with more than $2.8 million in funding to help even more children experience the magic of a wish.

Marine Toys for Tots Foundation

The Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund and Toys“R”Us, Inc. once again teamed up with the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation to bring joy and smiles to America’s neediest children during the 2014 holiday season. NBA Legend Shaquille O’Neal – and his alter-ego Shaq-A-Claus – joined Toys“R”Us to #PlayItForward in communities across the country, helping the company’s in-store and online fundraising campaign raise a record-breaking $6.4 million. Toys“R”Us has raised nearly $42 million and collected 4 million toys since the partnership began in 2004. In addition, grants totaling more than $5.4 million have been awarded to Toys for Tots by the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund.

Operation Shower

Since 2012, the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund and Babies“R”Us® have worked with Operation Shower to co-host joyful baby showers for military moms-to-be across the country. In addition to being separated from their spouses due to deployment, expectant military moms are often far away from friends and family. Together, Operation Shower and Babies“R”Us have showered nearly 500 moms during nine amazing events, ensuring military families receive some of the basic essentials they need for their newborns. To date, Toys“R”Us, Inc. and the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund have provided more than $500,000 to the organization through grant funding and in-kind donations.

The philanthropic mission of Toys“R”Us Inc. and the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund is to keep children safe and help them in times of need. The Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund contributes millions of dollars annually to various children’s organizations.