Mattel Inc. played host to its second annual Global Day of Play this week — a company-wide community service initiative that brings the power of play directly to children around the world. The initiative is organized by the Mattel Children’s Foundation in partnership with the Mattel Global Philanthropic Alliance Team.

Events took place at the company’s El Segundo, California, headquarters, and at locations in 30 cities across North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Latin America. More than 1,000 Mattel employees took part in the initiative, with efforts directly supporting 45 non-profit organizations. A 45% increase over the inaugural Global Day of Play, more than 8,000 children were reached through this year’s efforts.

“We believe in a world where every child has the chance to play. In partnership with communities around the globe, we are honored to bring children those opportunities with our second annual Global Day of Play,” says Amy Thompson, chief people officer at Mattel. “This initiative is an important part of a companywide commitment to positively impact the lives of children, while also igniting the passion for play in all our employees.”

On Thursday, June 20, Mattel employees played host to an “Epic Play Date” for more than 200 children from LA’s BestBoys & Girls Club of Carson, and patient families from UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital, who visited the Mattel campus.

Special guests included Polly Pocket ambassador Sky Brown — the youngest pro skateboarder — along with representatives from UCLA Health, joined by their community partners from professional sports teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and former Los Angeles Dodgers player Eric Karros. Additionally, athletes from Special Olympics Southern California and others were welcomed to the Mattel campus for the full day of activities.

Mattel also is partnering with organizations such as Save the Children, along with numerous children’s hospitals and additional non-profit organizations around the world to carry on its mission of play throughout the year ahead.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.

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