PAWTUCKET, R.I.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS), today celebrates its 5th annual Global Day of Joy, during which Hasbro employees around the world spend the day spreading holiday cheer to children in need through volunteer projects, acts of kindness, and toy and game donations. During this holiday season alone, Hasbro is donating 1.5 million toys and games to organizations benefitting children worldwide, valued at more than $14 million. Many of those toys and games will be delivered today by Hasbro employees around the world.
From Rhode Island to France to Hong Kong, approximately 5,400 Hasbro employees are volunteering with roughly 250 organizations in more than 40 countries. By day’s end, that equates to more than 25,000 collective volunteer hours – more than two and a half years’ worth of volunteer service. This year, in addition to their volunteer projects, Hasbro employees are completing random acts of kindness as part of the company’s BE FEARLESS BE KIND signature philanthropic initiative.
“When we hosted our first Global Day of Joy five years ago, we couldn’t have imagined how impactful and how meaningful this would become,” said Brian Goldner, chairman and CEO, Hasbro, Inc. “Our employees rally together, rolling up our sleeves to make a real difference for children around the world. It’s a day that we look forward to all year round, and it has become how Hasbro celebrates the holiday season.”
Ninety-four percent of Hasbro employees worldwide are participating in this year’s Global Day of Joy, triple the average participation rate for corporate volunteer programs. According to CECP: The CEO Force for Good, the average participation for corporate volunteer programs in 2016 was 31 percent.
In celebration of this year’s Global Day of Joy, hundreds of volunteer projects are taking place worldwide to spread kindness and joy, including:
- In Rhode Island, Mexico, India, and the UK, employees are working together with Special Olympics to host game days, holiday parties and a sports tournament.
- Teams at Hasbro’s Toronto and Rhode Island offices are taking “random acts of kindness” to the next level, hosting formal “Mission Kindness” scavenger hunts that assign point values for each act of kindness completed.
- The Hasbro West team in Burbank, CA is teaming up with non-profit Kids for Peace to paint the “Kindness Mobile,” a bus that will be driven from California to Texas to launch the 2018 Great Kindness Challenge in January.
“This is an incredibly special day for all of us and it builds on the work we do year-round to make a positive impact for children and families worldwide,” said Karen Davis, senior vice president, Global Philanthropy and Social Impact, Hasbro, Inc. “Service isn’t just something we do, it’s part of who we are.”
Beyond the holiday season, Hasbro has several year-round initiatives dedicated to creating a universe where every child experiences hope, kindness and joy.
- Through the Team Hasbro global volunteer program, Hasbro employees are given the benefit of four hours of paid time off each month to volunteer with organizations benefitting children.
- BE FEARLESS BE KIND, Hasbro’s signature philanthropic initiative, is aimed at developing compassion and empathy in children. This year, more than a quarter million youth and caring adults took the BE FEARLESS BE KIND Pledge to be inclusive, stand up and make a difference.
- Hasbro maintains strategic philanthropic partnerships with organizations including Operation Smile, SOS Children’s Villages, SeriousFun Children’s Network, Toys for Tots and Give Kids the World to make the greatest impact possible for children. A similar coalition of BE FEARLESS BE KIND partners includes Creative Visions, The Great Kindness Challenge (with Kids for Peace), No Bully, Special Olympics, World’s Largest Lesson (with UNICEF), the Middle School Kindness Challenge and YSA (Youth Service America).
- More than 300,000 toys and games were donated to help families impacted by natural disasters this year. Hasbro’s partnership with Toys for Tots provided families with gifts for their children during the holidays. Hasbro’s Play Relief program, a partnership with global nonprofit Good 360, equipped emergency shelters with toys and games to provide a distraction and sense of normalcy for children and their families who have been displaced.
In 2017, Hasbro ranked No. 1 on the 100 Best Corporate Citizens list by CR Magazine and was named to the Civic 50 list of Most Community Minded Companies for the fifth consecutive year.
To learn more about Hasbro’s philanthropic programs worldwide, please visit www.Hasbro.com/giving and follow the company on Twitter (@Hasbro).
About Hasbro
Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS) is a global play and entertainment company committed to Creating the World’s Best Play Experiences. From toys and games to television, movies, digital gaming and consumer products, Hasbro offers a variety of ways for audiences to experience its iconic brands, including NERF, MY LITTLE PONY, TRANSFORMERS, PLAY-DOH, MONOPOLY, LITTLEST PET SHOP and MAGIC: THE GATHERING, as well as premier partner brands. Through Hasbro Studios and its film labels, Allspark Pictures and Allspark Animation, the Company is building its brands globally through great storytelling and content on all screens. Hasbro is committed to making the world a better place for children and their families through corporate social responsibility and philanthropy. Hasbro ranked No. 1 on the 2017 100 Best Corporate Citizens list by CR Magazine, and has been named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere Institute for the past six years.
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