Community and Education

Canada: Outreach

Grand & Toy, our Canadian subsidiary, refined its outreach approach in 2007, which now better aligns with the philanthropic focus of our U.S. Operations. In doing so, Grand & Toy selected KidsFest, as their primary beneficiary, while also supporting a variety of other important causes.

KidsFest

KidsFest is an organization that partners with businesses, schools and communities to provide high impact programs improving academic achievement, physical fitness and social interaction for financially disadvantaged Canadian children. In connection with KidsFest, Grand & Toy facilitated the donation of school supplies and helped raise over $22,000 for the organization and its mission.

As the exclusive sponsor of the KidsFest backpack program, Grand & Toy collected enough school supplies from its suppliers to fill a total of 4,000 backpacks, valued at $125 (Can) each. In the fall of 2007, more than 40 associates from the subsidiary’s home office, distribution centre (in Vaughan, Ontario), and Customer Care Centre, filled the backpacks with binders, pens, glue, paper, tape and various other school supplies. Then, using Grand & Toy’s shipping department, they helped distribute the filled backpacks to needy school children throughout Canada.

Grand & Toy also supported KidsFest with a variety of fundraising activities. During the back-to-school season of mid-August through the end of September, Grand & Toy retail stores provided store associates the opportunity to “dress down” in blue jeans in return for a dollar donation to KidsFest for each day that the associates participated. The stores also accepted $1 donations from customers during that period. More than $13,000 was raised through these efforts.

During the 2007 holiday season, Grand & Toy raised an additional $9,300 through store fundraising activities and donations from associates. Additionally, associates in the Grand & Toy Home Office and the Vaughan Distribution Centre donated and collected children’s toys, filling several large furniture boxes with toys for kids in need. The toys were then distributed by KidsFest through their Running and Reading Clubs throughout Canada.

In 2007, Grand & Toy also provided KidsFest with warehousing facilities, valued at approximately $31,525 per month. Grand & Toy donated a total of $132,000 (in-kind or financial) to KidsFest.

Other Grand & Toy Philanthropic Activities

Through its associate giving campaign, Grand & Toy provided more than $50,000 in matching funds to United Way organizations throughout Canada, for a total donation of around $100,000.

Grand & Toy also donated $10,000 to the Calgary School Board in Alberta, Canada, in association with Grand & Toy’s request for proposal program.

Additionally, Grand & Toy provided financial or in-kind donations to more than 50 organizations.