The 2018 Kind Coins for Hurricane Relief Campaign was a direct response to the devastating 2017 hurricane season. When hurricanes Harvey and Maria hit Texas, Puerto Rico and Florida in 2017, elementary schools were destroyed and the students were left without a safe area to learn, grow and play.
Leading with kindness and compassion, the students & families who participated in The Great Kindness Challenge wanted to help, and the idea of building four new playgrounds at schools in disaster-impacted communities in Texas, Puerto Rico, Florida and California was born. More than 80,000 students participated in this project, helping to show how everybody has a role to play in creating a kinder world.
Hasbro, Inc., through its BE FEARLESS BE KIND philanthropic initiative, matched $100,000 of the funds raised, to ensure all four playgrounds could become a reality. In 2018, Peaceful Hearts Playgrounds opened in Friendswood, Texas, San Juan Puerto Rico and Islamorada, Florida. One more playground will be built in wildfire-impacted Paradise, California.
Jill McManigal, executive director and co-founder of Kids for Peace said, "Thanks to the kindness and compassion of thousands of students, families and committed partners like Hasbro who contributed through The Great Kindness Challenge Kind Coins for Hurricane Relief Campaign, we are so excited to build these beautiful playgrounds with members of the community, and to bring children the healing power of play."
Hasbro, Inc., through its BE FEARLESS BE KIND philanthropic initiative, matched $100,000 of the funds raised, to ensure all four playgrounds could become a reality. In 2018, Peaceful Hearts Playgrounds opened in Friendswood, Texas, San Juan Puerto Rico and Islamorada, Florida. One more playground will be built in wildfire-impacted Paradise, California.
Jill McManigal, executive director and co-founder of Kids for Peace said, "Thanks to the kindness and compassion of thousands of students, families and committed partners like Hasbro who contributed through The Great Kindness Challenge Kind Coins for Hurricane Relief Campaign, we are so excited to build these beautiful playgrounds with members of the community, and to bring children the healing power of play."
Special Olympics has been a leader in creating a culture of inclusion while also developing empathy and compassion in youth in schools across the globe. Hasbro is honored to help Special Olympics expand this model through a combination of financial support, the time and talent of our employee volunteers and the use of our toys and games.
Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools promote social inclusion by bringing together young people with and without intellectual disabilities through Special Olympics Unified Sports, inclusive youth leadership and student clubs, and school or community-wide initiatives.
At its core, this Unified Champion Schools strategy is about unifying all students—with and without disabilities—using sports as a catalyst for social inclusion and attitude and behavior change. Our support in 2018 helped to expand Unified Champion Schools to four states in the U.S. (Rhode Island, Washington, California, Florida) and in eight countries (Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Brazil, Italy, United Kingdom, India).
"Hasbro's leadership for the full inclusion of youth with intellectual disabilities is truly inspirational," said Mary Davis, Special Olympics International CEO. "As partners we share the view that when the world chooses to include, all lives will be improved.”
At its core, this Unified Champion Schools strategy is about unifying all students—with and without disabilities—using sports as a catalyst for social inclusion and attitude and behavior change. Our support in 2018 helped to expand Unified Champion Schools to four states in the U.S. (Rhode Island, Washington, California, Florida) and in eight countries (Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Brazil, Italy, United Kingdom, India).
"Hasbro's leadership for the full inclusion of youth with intellectual disabilities is truly inspirational," said Mary Davis, Special Olympics International CEO. "As partners we share the view that when the world chooses to include, all lives will be improved.”