Toys"R"Us, Inc. Donates $1 Million To Help Rebuild New Jersey In Aftermath Of Hurricane Sandy

WAYNE, N.J., Jan. 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Toys"R"Us Children's Fund today announced it has made a $1 million donation to the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund, created by New Jersey's Governor Chris Christie and First Lady Mary Pat Christie to aid, comfort and rebuild the Garden State in the wake of the devastation that impacted so many children and families.

Toys"R"Us, Inc. has been based in New Jersey for 38 years and today has more than 4,000 employees statewide across 45 stores, regional offices, its corporate headquarters and the company's largest retail distribution center in the country. Together, Toys"R"Us, Inc. and the Toys"R"Us Children's Fund have a long history of giving back to the communities they serve by keeping kids safe and helping them in times of need.

"Hurricane Sandy brought unimaginable damage to our state, and the need for assistance in rebuilding lives is tremendous," said First Lady Mary Pat Christie, who serves as Chair of the Fund.  "We are so grateful to Toys"R"Us for its ongoing commitment to New Jersey and for this generous donation that will help families in so many communities devastated by the storm."

"On behalf of the thousands of Toys"R"Us employees who call New Jersey home, we are very proud to support the Governor and First Lady in their efforts to rebuild across the state in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy," said Jerry Storch, Chairman and CEO, Toys"R"Us, Inc.  "We take very seriously our responsibility to be a caring neighbor in the communities we serve, and hope this donation to the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund will help provide assistance and comfort to the many children and families who were impacted by this disaster."

The donation to the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund adds to the company's continuing efforts to help kids and families affected by the superstorm, which to date have included:

• An immediate $500,000 donation by the Toys"R"Us Children's Fund to Save the Children, a global humanitarian organization, to support its work helping children and families in evacuation shelters in New York and New Jersey and to help distribute much-needed items, including hygiene kits, diapers and baby wipes. Toys"R"Us, Inc. also worked with Save the Children to create a dedicated registry of items needed in disaster situations. Customers may donate items by clicking here.
• In the aftermath of the storm, the company provided product donations of essential baby supplies in some of the hardest hit areas including Staten Island, New York and Toms River, New Jersey.
• To help spread Christmas joy to children impacted by Hurricane Sandy, Toys"R"Us, Inc. donated $25,000 worth of toys to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation for distribution in the tri-state area. Toys"R"Us also worked with Toys for Tots to set up an online Wish List, which allowed customers to purchase toys for donation to affected families.
• Toys"R"Us, Inc. donated $10,000 to Newark Now's annual "Brighter Holidays" event, which included assistance to families that were impacted by Sandy.
• Toys"R"Us, Inc. supported a charity initiative led by Nynell Langford, wife of Atlantic City Mayor Lorenzo Langford, to provide toys for children impacted by the storm's devastation to the Jersey Shore.
• Toys"R"Us, Inc. donated $5,000 in gift cards through New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's Hurricane Sandy Relief effort to help provide toys for families in hard-hit areas of the state.

In addition, Toys"R"Us, Inc is helping its own employees impacted by Hurricane Sandy through the Geoffrey Fund, a company program that offers financial assistance in times of hardship.

About the Toys"R"Us Children's Fund

The Toys"R"Us Children's Fund is a public charity affiliated with Toys"R"Us, Inc., a company that unabashedly declares "We love kids!" The core mission of the Toys"R"Us Children's Fund is to keep children safe and help them in times of need. Since it was founded in 1992, the Toys"R"Us Children's Fund has contributed millions of dollars to qualified organizations that support that mission, including those providing disaster relief to children and families who are victims of large-scale crises. The Toys"R"Us Children's Fund also provides grants to leading organizations that support children with special needs. Primary fundraising activities include the annual Toys"R"Us Children's Fund Gala, a private, invitation-only event that showcases the work of the Fund and raises money to support its many beneficiaries. This annual benefit has raised $100 million since its inception in 1985 and is one of the largest single-night fundraising events held in New York City.

About Toys"R"Us, Inc.

Toys"R"Us, Inc. is the world's leading dedicated toy and juvenile products retailer, offering a differentiated shopping experience through its family of brands. Merchandise is sold in 875 Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us stores in the United States and Puerto Rico, and in more than 645 international stores and over 150 licensed stores in 35 countries and jurisdictions. In addition, it exclusively operates the legendary FAO Schwarz brand and sells extraordinary toys in the brand's flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York City. With its strong portfolio of e-commerce sites including Toysrus.com, Babiesrus.com, eToys.com and FAO.com, it provides shoppers with a broad online selection of distinctive toy and baby products. Headquartered in Wayne, NJ, Toys"R"Us, Inc. employs approximately 70,000 associates annually worldwide. The company is committed to serving its communities as a caring and reputable neighbor through programs dedicated to keeping kids safe and helping them in times of need. Additional information about Toys"R"Us, Inc. can be found on Toysrusinc.com. Follow Toys"R"Us, Babies"R"Us and FAO Schwarz on Facebook at Facebook.com/Toysrus, Facebook.com/Babiesrus and Facebook.com/FAO and on Twitter at Twitter.com/Toysrus and Twitter.com/Babiesrus.

SOURCE Toys"R"Us, Inc.