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IKEA Holiday Soft Toy Program Returns November 1 – December 24 Benefitting Global UNICEF

IKEA Houston Will Hold Local Toy Drive for Children’s Assessment Center

The holiday season is a great time to bring smiles to the faces of children around the world, whether with a gift that brings a sparkle to the eye or a gesture of good will that can change a life forever. IKEA, along with long-time partners, UNICEF and Save the Children , are releasing products this holiday season that are designed to do both.

For each IKEA Soft Toy purchased from November 1 – December 24, 2010, IKEA will donate approximately $1.30 (€1) to UNICEF and Save the Children to extend and start new children’s educational programs in 22 countries. For the first time in IKEA history, the retailer will also make a donation for every IKEA Children’s product and Soft Toy kids meal sold November 1 – December 4. Ranging in price from $.49 to $19.99, IKEA Soft Toys are an easy, affordable way for customers to give and give back, all at once and at an affordable price point.

“With over 300 IKEA stores and many millions of customers joining the movement for children’s education, we can make a substantial and long-lasting impact on children’s lives. This year, we hope to raise a record 10 million euro ($13 million) from the sale of soft toys, Children’s IKEA products and the special kids’ meal while also raising awareness of the importance of education. This will help millions of children learn and thrive,” says Marianne Barner, head of IKEA Social Initiative.

The global soft toy program has raised $31 million dollars and impacted the lives of more than 8 million disadvantaged children since 2003. The 2010 U.S. campaign goal is to raise more than $1 million to help reach the global $13 million goal.

”IKEA Houston wants to do everything in our power to support this project on the global and local level,” Kim Castillo, Marketing Manager for IKEA Houston said. ”In addition to encouraging visitors to purchase the soft toys for friends, family and loved ones, we will also collect soft toy purchases to benefit local nonprofit organization Children’s Assessment Center.”

The Children’s Assessment Center (CAC) provides professional, compassionate and coordinated treatment to sexually abused children, and serves as an advocate for children in our communities. IKEA Houston invites visitors to support the organization by participating in the in-store local toy drive from November 1 – December 4.

Each year, the CAC is able to collect more than 2,000 gifts for local children through community partnerships, and this year IKEA Houston hopes to increase those numbers substantially. The collected toys will be presented at the CAC’s annual Holiday Party on December 15, and given to parents to place under their tree for their children.

The IKEA soft toy campaign is driven by the IKEA Social Initiative program; a commitment to developing communities with the mission to improve children’s rights and opportunities. IKEA additionally supports local women and children’s organizations in the US IKEA store markets through partnerships like Houston’s local toy drive for Children’s Assessment Center.

IKEA Houston

IKEA Houston is located on I-10 near Antoine. The 300,000-square-foot IKEA Houston store originally opened in November 1992 and employs approximately 300 coworkers. In addition to 10,000 exclusively designed items, IKEA Houston showcases 54 room-settings, 18 kitchens, three complete home interiors under 500 square feet, a supervised children’s play area, and a 350-seat restaurant serving Swedish specialties such as meatballs with lingonberries and salmon plates, as well as American dishes. Other family-friendly features include a Children’s IKEA area in the Showroom, baby care rooms, preferred parking and play areas throughout the store. Visit www.IKEAHouston.com .

Learn about the IKEA Social Imitative .

The Children’s Assessment Center
The Children’s Assessment Center is an accredited member of the National Children’s Alliance and part of a national movement to create child-friendly intervention systems for sexually abused children. The CAC is one of the largest advocacy centers in the nation. We served 5,082 children and adults in 2009.

*(based on current market euro to dollar conversion)

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