Mattel’s Barbie Unveils #ThankYouHeroes Program

For each eligible career Barbie doll sold, Mattel will donate a doll to the First Responders Children’s Foundation.

May 13, 2020

Mattel has announced a new initiative to benefit the children of first responders leading the fight against COVID-19. Barbie will donate one doll to the First Responders Children’s Foundation for each eligible career doll sold from May 14 through May 17.

The Barbie #ThankYouHeroes program is the second program launching as part of Mattel’s broader “Play it Forward” platform, which focuses on leveraging Mattel brands to give back to communities in times of need.

As part of the Barbie buy-a -doll, donate-a-doll effort, the brand honors everyday heroes supporting the community such as medical professionals, food-service workers, scientists, firefighters and more. When an eligible Barbie career doll or playset is purchased between May 14-17, the brand will donate a doll to the First Responders Children’s Foundation to be gifted to these heroes’ families to inspire play.

“As Barbie has always highlighted role models to inspire the limitless potential in the next generation, we are proud to launch

a program celebrating the real-life heroes working on the front lines and supporting their families through the First Responders Children’s Foundation,” says Lisa McKnight, senior vice president and global head, Barbie and dolls, Mattel. “We want to do our part to give back and inspire today’s kids to take after these heroes one day.”

The new Barbie program follows the launch of Fisher-Price’s #ThankYouHeroes collection, the first product line to be introduced as part of the company’s Play it Forward platform. Additional brand programs will be launching in the coming weeks.

"First Responders Children's Foundation is excited to deploy Barbie to first responder families across the country during a time when their children are in need of a little joy in their lives," says Jillian Crane, president, First Responders Children's Foundation. “There's no doubt that first responders on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic are sacrificing so much to protect our families, and it's our responsibility as a nation to help them through this crisis by providing grants, scholarships and partnerships such as our program with Mattel that encourage consumers to support these efforts with the buy-a-doll, donate-a-doll program that benefits first responder families. This partnership also marks the official launch of the Foundation's Happy & Healthy Child Program, an initiative that will support the year-round needs of first responders’ children."

For more information about the First Responders Children’s Foundation, visit 1stRCF.org. For additional details and eligible products for promotion, visit Barbie.com/Careers.