Toys “R” Us Teams With Autism Speaks for Fundraising Campaign

Toys “R” Us, in conjunction with the Toys “R” Us Children’s Fund, recently kicked off its second annual fundraising campaign to benefit Autism Speaks, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to facilitating research that aims to uncover the causes of, develop treatments for, and discover a cure for autism. From now until May 2, Toys “R” Us will collect cash donations at all 585 Toys “R” Us stores across the country and online at Toysrus.com/AutismSpeaks. The program coincides with Autism Awareness Month in April.

In addition to collecting monetary donations, Toys “R” Us is committed to helping Autism Speaks increase public awareness about the disorder. Together with Autism Speaks and the National Lekotek Center, an independent organization dedicated to children with disabilities, Toys “R” Us has again developed a special edition of the Toys “R” Us Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids that identifies “Ten Toys That Speak To Autism.” The items selected promote development of language, creativity, and social skills. The “Ten Toys That Speak To Autism” and other information about the disorder are available at all Toys “R” Us stores and online at Toysrus.com/AutismSpeaks.

Last year, the Toys “R” Us in-store fundraising campaign raised more than $1.1 million to support Autism Speaks in its efforts to help solve the autism puzzle. This year, Toys “R” Us has extended the campaign from seven weeks to nine weeks to provide customers with a greater opportunity to impact the lives of families affected by autism. During the nine-week period, the company will implement an aggressive marketing program, inclusive of in-store signage and advertising, to inform customers about the disorder and its warning signs.