UNICEF Inspired gifts, the 2009 holiday card and gift collection and partners offer unique easy ways to help save children's lives this holiday season

NEW YORK, Nov. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Fund for UNICEF today announced a unique lineup of creative and life-saving gifts for holiday shoppers this season. All funds will fully or in part go toward saving, improving and protecting the lives of the unnecessary deaths of 24,000 children who die each day.

"Supporters can bring hope, happiness and health to children around the world with the purchase of UNICEF gifts that give back this holiday season," said Dayle Haddon, UNICEF Ambassador. "While UNICEF has saved more children's lives than any other organization, it takes all of us to make an immediate and dramatic difference to help reduce the number of daily preventable childhood deaths from 24,000 to zero."

As an alternative to traditional holiday gift giving, UNICEF's Inspired Gifts anchors this season's offerings by providing consumers the opportunity to purchase actual lifesaving items for children in need. Inspired Gifts includes urgently needed medical supplies, educational materials, nutritional supplements for malnourished children, hand pumps to ensure safe drinking water and sturdy tents for emergency shelter. These low-cost but highly effective interventions are the hallmark of all of UNICEF's efforts to do whatever it takes to save children's lives.

For 60 years, the sale of UNICEF's holiday cards has raised money to support the organization's lifesaving work. In addition to these iconic greeting cards, this season's holiday collection includes everything from handcrafted Indian bracelets to baby toys and puzzles.

Other gift items available include: Indian Beaded Ornaments, delicate hand-beading and finely detailed patterns that reflect India's cultural heritage; Indian Papier-Mache Bracelets, ornate, lightweight bangles; Nesting Blocks, 10 blocks featuring animals, letters and numbers written in 13 languages, Around the World Puzzle, a detailed jigsaw puzzle for children ages 5+; and African Safari Votives in exotic zebra, giraffe and cheetah patterns. UNICEF boxed holiday cards are available at Pier 1 Imports, IKEA and select Hallmark Gold Crown stores.

Additionally, several U.S. Fund for UNICEF corporate partners have created unique product offerings from soft toys to bracelets to luxury gifts and accessories to help support UNICEF this holiday season, including IKEA, Gucci, Montblanc, and Cartier. For each purchase, these companies will make a donation to support UNICEF's lifesaving programs. In addition, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Pampers, Microsoft and Facebook are providing opportunities to support UNICEF through special online promotions.

"With your help, UNICEF is doing whatever it takes to protect and save every child." said Caryl Stern, CEO and President of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. "This holiday season is the ideal time to share the mission of UNICEF's work with your family and friends and continue to support UNICEF's lifesaving efforts."

Consumers can place orders for the 2009 holiday cards, gifts and Inspired Gifts by phone, fax, mail or online and can find the location of stores in their area selling UNICEF cards by selecting the store locator at www.unicefusa.org.

For more information on corporate partners and promotions, please visit www.unicefusa.org/giftsthatgive.

About UNICEF

UNICEF has saved more children's lives than any other humanitarian organization in the world. Working in over 150 countries, UNICEF provides children with health care, clean water, nutrition, education, emergency relief, and more. The U.S. Fund for UNICEF supports UNICEF's work through fundraising, advocacy, and education in the United States.

UNICEF is at the forefront of efforts to reduce child mortality worldwide. There has been substantial progress--the annual number of under-five deaths dropped from 13 million in 1990 to 8.8 million in 2008. But still, 24,000 children die each day from preventable causes. Our mission is to do whatever it takes to make that number zero by giving children the essentials for a safe and healthy childhood. For more information, visit www.unicefusa.org.

SOURCE U.S. Fund for UNICEF

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