Through its annual Play It Forward Global Volunteer Week, Mattel is giving back to communities worldwide from June 19-23.
A vast array of volunteer activities and projects are being undertaken by the company this week, starting at company headquarters in El Segundo, California and ranging from community beautification initiatives and tree-planting events to substantial donations to children’s charities and organizations.
Some of the activities include a Play is the Way Sports Day, in which Los Angeles Sparks players and the Los Angeles Chargers street team engage in a girl’s empowerment-filled morning, and a super-sized playdate wherein 300 children from Boys and Girls Clubs of Carson, UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital, Huntington Park Parks, and Girls, Inc. LA come together for fun with WWE superstar Tamina Snuka and representatives from the Lakers, Dodgers, Kings, and LAFC.
Play it Forward is also partnering with Save the Children to launch the Make Summer Fair campaign, which aims to provide children with books and educational resources during the summer months. The Los Angeles Library Foundation will also welcome 300 students from LA’s Best for a carnival-style afternoon.
Mattel’s Fisher-Price is donating to food banks including FeedMore WNY, donating toys to Oishei Children’s Hospital, and participating in Habitat for Humanity Buffalo builds. MEGA employees are partnering with Colonie Ste-Jeanne d’Arc to paint murals throughout the community.
Events even stretch to Mattel’s international presence. A sporting event promoting disability awareness in partnership with Rencontre Extra Ordinaire is being forged in France while Mattel employees in Greece support Smile of the Child. Employees in Latin America engage with organizations that support foster youth such as Aldeas Infantiles en Brasil and Casa Hogar DIF. In the Asia-Pacific region, Mattel offices, distribution centers, and plants are donating toys, creating play kits, and volunteering at local children’s organizations. Mattel Canada is raising funds to grant a special request with Make-A-Wish Canada.
“For over 30 years, Mattel has been an active and generous community partner to El Segundo,” says Mayor Drew Boyles. “Each year, Mattel generously donates thousands of toys to the city’s annual holiday tree lighting ceremony, making it one of the city’s most beloved community events. Play it Forward is another example of the outstanding charitable work Mattel does to give back to the community.”
Nancy Molenda, Executive Director, Mattel Children’s Foundation and Philanthropy at Mattel, adds, “We are thankful for our partners and global employee base who help us make a difference all year long. From bringing educational resources to rural America, supporting children’s hospitals with toy donations, to even building a family’s dream home, the accomplishments we’ve been able to achieve through Play It Forward have been incredible.”
To find out more about the company’s week-long and perpetual philanthropic initiatives, visit The Mattel Children’s Foundation at mattel.com.
