Foundation Earmarks Approximately $2.5 Million for Five Organizations
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., April 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Mattel, Inc.
(NYSE: MAT) announced today the continuation of its Signature Partners
Program with five charitable organizations: Special Olympics, Save the
Children, the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related
Institutions (NACHRI), the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation (CAAF) and
the Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA. Almost $2.5 million will be
distributed among the organizations to support global programs that benefit
children in need and make a meaningful difference in their lives.
"These partnerships help us to effectively touch the lives of more
children in need around the world through the expertise of each individual
organization," said Kevin Farr, Chairman of the Mattel Children's
Foundation and CFO of Mattel, Inc. "We are proud to partner with these five
organizations, each known for their effective programs and operations."
The 2006 Signature Partnerships consist of the following:
Special Olympics: With the support of the Mattel Children's Foundation,
the Young Athletes Program, created last year with Foundation funding, will
expand to 45 new locations, 32 of which are international. Funding will
also support the Special Olympics Get Into It curriculum, estimated to
touch the lives of more than 200,000 children with and without disabilities
this year. Team Mattel brings Mattel employee volunteers together at local
Special Olympics activities, and will be active in 12 countries and seven
locations in the U.S., making Team Mattel the largest ever international
team of volunteers in Special Olympics history.
Save the Children: Having touched the lives of more than 10,000
children globally together last year, the Mattel Children's Foundation and
Save the Children will continue its partnership through support of literacy
and education programs in Uganda, Guinea, the Philippines, Afghanistan, and
domestically in rural communities in the Southeast. In addition, Foundation
funding will enable four new schools to be built in Mali and Malawi.
NACHRI: Continuing to partner with NACHRI and its 190 member
organizations, Mattel and the Mattel Children's Foundation will support
peer learning programs for enhancing patient safety in hospitals and
provide over 60,000 toys to children in hospitals throughout the year.
CAAF: Support of the CAAF Orphan International Program will address the
needs of the millions of children now orphaned because of HIV and AIDS with
a focus on programs in Latin America and the Caribbean. In addition, Mattel
will continue to be a premier sponsor of Dream Halloween(R) in Los Angeles,
New York and Chicago and its employees will volunteer at the various
locations to support CAAF's largest annual fundraiser.
Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA: The Mattel Children's Foundation
last year announced a new multi-year commitment to support the Hospital
through the sponsorship of an Endowed Chair of Pediatrics. This position
will provide for ongoing research to ensure that the Hospital remains a
leader in pediatric medicine. In addition, Mattel's ongoing support of the
Hospital includes product donations and volunteers.
"Our signature partners are a vitally important component of Mattel's
philanthropy programs," said Deidre Lind, Executive Director of the Mattel
Children's Foundation. "We rely on these partners to help us strategically
maximize our impact to as many children in need globally as we can."
More information regarding the Mattel Children's Foundation, grant
applications or product donations can be found at
http://www.mattel.com/about_us/philanthropy/.
About the Mattel Children's Foundation
Established in 1978, the Mattel Children's Foundation creates joy in
the lives of under-served children through grant making and the work of
employee volunteers. Viewing philanthropy as an investment, the Foundation
funds exemplary nonprofit partners that demonstrate this ideal through
their compassionate outreach to children, as well as their financial
accountability. Funded exclusively by cash donations from Mattel, Inc, the
Mattel Children's Foundation's vision is to make a meaningful difference,
one child at a time.
About Mattel
Mattel, Inc. (NYSE: MAT) is the worldwide leader in the design,
manufacture and marketing of toys and family products, including Barbie(R),
the most popular fashion doll ever introduced. The Mattel family is
comprised of such best-selling brands as Hot Wheels(R), Matchbox(R),
American Girl(R) and Tyco(R) R/C, as well as Fisher-Price(R) brands
(http://www.fisher-price.com). With worldwide headquarters in El Segundo, Calif.,
Mattel employs more than 25,000 people in 42 countries and sells products
in more than 150 nations throughout the world. The Mattel vision is to be
the world's premier toy brands -- today and tomorrow.
SOURCE Mattel, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.fisher-price.com
http://www.mattel.com/about_us/philanthropy
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/540363.html /
CONTACT:
Jules Andres of Mattel, Inc.,
+1-310-252-3529, Jules.Andres@mattel.com
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