Company Website:
http://www.mattel.com
EAST AURORA, NY & EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- (Business Wire)
Fisher-Price, Inc. and Mattel, Inc. pledged $3 million to The Children’s
Hospital of Buffalo Foundation, in Buffalo, N.Y., for construction and
naming rights to a 6,000-square-foot respite area for families going
through treatment in the new John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital, opening
2016 on Ellicott and High streets. This pledge, along with the company’s
support and partnership with Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) and
Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA and a multitude of volunteer activities,
demonstrates Mattel’s commitment to supporting children’s hospitals
around the world.
The Fisher-Price/Mattel Family & Child Resource Center will be located
on the fifth floor of the John R. Oishei Children's Hospital. This
center will have a computer and video game area, family consultation
rooms and meditation areas with access to a winter garden. Child Life
Specialists and Artists in Residence will interact with the patients and
their families as well as representatives from Stone’s Buddies, a
network of support developed for chronically ill children and their
families.
Fisher-Price and Mattel will also design toy storage compartments for
play areas on all hospital floors, as well as branded animal sculptures
for the outdoor garden.
Groundbreaking for the $260 million building is expected in the spring.
The Fisher-Price/Mattel Family & Child Resource Center will open within
the new John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital in early 2016.
“Our relationship with the Children’s Hospital of Buffalo is very
special; we share so many deep and important values,” said David
Allmark, Executive Vice President of Fisher-Price Global Brands. “Over
the years and through collaborations large and small, both Fisher-Price
and Mattel have been happy to support the mission of children’s
hospitals around the globe, especially our local Buffalo families in
their time of unique need.”
"Buffalo is known as the 'City of Good Neighbors' and today those words
ring especially true of our locally founded toymaker, Fisher-Price, and
their parent company, Mattel,” said James R. Kaskie, President and Chief
Executive Officer of Kaleida Health. “Children’s Hospital has been
fortunate to benefit from a 25-year collaboration with Fisher-Price and
its very talented and giving team. This $3 million pledge is another
extraordinary example of our everlasting partnership on behalf of
children.”
In 2010, Fisher-Price refreshed the Women & Children’s Hospital lobby
with a new color scheme, images, mural and a video wall.
In addition, Fisher-Price has supported Women & Children’s Hospital for
more than 25 years through baby gear and toy donations, as well as a
tree donation to the annual “Festival of Trees” fundraiser, resulting in
some of the highest auction bids in the fundraiser’s history.
Mattel believes in the power of play – they know that play is critical
to children’s development, learning, creativity and socialization. This
is particularly true for children in hospitals. Mattel's support of
children's hospitals began in 1998 when the Mattel Children's Foundation
announced a unique partnership with the Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA.
Since then, Mattel and the Foundation expanded their joint support of
children's hospitals with support for Children's Hospital Association's
(CHA) with a donation of toys to every CHA member valued at almost $1
million a year. Internationally, Mattel and the Mattel Children's
Foundation continue that support with children's hospitals around the
world, including in China, Argentina and Sweden. This donation is part
of Mattel's ongoing commitment of 2% of its pretax profit to
philanthropic efforts.
About Fisher-Price
Fisher-Price, Inc., a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAT) located in
East Aurora, N.Y., is the leading brand of infant and preschool toys in
the world. The company’s legacy of high quality toys has enhanced early
childhood development for more than 82 years. Some of the Company’s
best-known “classic” brands include Little People®, Power Wheels® and
Imaginext®. Fisher-Price is also a leading developer of baby gear
products (infant swings, bouncers, high chairs), as well as a wide array
of character-based toys inspired by high quality children’s programming
such as Dora the Explorer™, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Thomas &
Friends®. The Company’s website, www.fisher-price.com,
as well as its Facebook page, www.facebook.com/fisherprice
provide valuable information and resources to parents and grandparents
around the world.
About Mattel
Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAT)
is the worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys
and family products. The Mattel family is comprised of such best-selling
brands as Barbie®, the most popular fashion doll ever introduced, Hot
Wheels®, Monster High®, American Girl®, Thomas & Friends®, Fisher-Price®
brands, including, Little People®, Power Wheels®, as well as a wide
array of entertainment-inspired toy lines. In 2013, Mattel was named as
one of FORTUNE Magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" for the sixth
year in a row. Mattel also is ranked among Corporate Responsibility
Magazine's "100 Best Corporate Citizens." With worldwide headquarters in
El Segundo, Calif., Mattel employs approximately 30,000 people in 40
countries and territories and sells products in more than 150 nations.
At Mattel, we are Creating the Future of Play. Visit us at www.mattel.com,
www.facebook.com/mattel
or www.twitter.com/mattel
About Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo
Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, a Kaleida Health facility and
teaching hospital for the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and
Biomedical Sciences, is the regional center for comprehensive and
state-of-the-art pediatric, neonatal, perinatal and obstetrical services
in Western New York and beyond. For more information, please go online
at www.wchob.org.
Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo is ranked by US News & World
Report in its special edition of "Best Children's Hospitals". As three
of the specialty areas within children's hospitals ranked nationally in
this publication, Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo is among the
best children's hospitals in Neurology/Neurosurgery and Cancer care in
2011 – 2012 and Gastroenterology in 2012 – 2013.
MAT-CORP
Contacts:
Mattel
Alan Hilowitz, 310.252.6397
press@mattel.com
or
Fisher-Price
Amber
Pietrobono, 716.687.8121
amber.pietrobono@mattel.com
or
Fisher-Price
Dale
Schultz, 716.687.3484
dale.schultz@mattel.com
Source: Mattel, Inc.