The story of how Toys for Tots got its start is inspiring. It involves a charitable couple and a Raggedy Ann doll. I presented that story earlier this week in a keynote speech I gave at an annual event hosted by the Portsmouth Community Foundation.
We now have another way to help Toys for Tots put additional toys in the arms of children in need. Coca-Cola is allowing you to donate My Coke Reward points to The Toys for Tots organization. Read the press release below to learn how you can make your contribution.
Artist Nathan Sawaya Unveils Original Sculpture of Toys
for Tots Train Made From Coca-Cola Bottle
Caps
ATLANTA, November
29, 2007 – Coca-Cola® is donating 100,000 gifts to Toys for Tots the holiday
season and is asking consumers to help make that number grow even
larger.
From now
through the end of the year, My Coke Rewards points found under caps and on
packaging of more than 60 products from Coca-Cola North America can be donated
to Toys for Tots at www.mycokerewards.com. As the donations
accumulate, Toys for Tots will redeem the points for gifts such as soccer balls,
Etch-A-Sketch® drawing toys, and backpacks. To help offer even more gifts to
kids, Coca-Cola is also donating an additional $150,000 to Toys for
Tots.
“Both Toys
for Tots and Coca-Cola have been uplifting and magical parts of the holiday
season for decades. This year we’re joining together and asking people to help
us make the holidays brighter for kids,” said Hendrik Steckhan, president and
general manager, Sparkling Beverages, Coca-Cola North America. “When families
and friends enjoy Coca-Cola as part of their holiday celebrations, we encourage
them to take a minute to go online and use their My Coke Rewards points to
support Toys for Tots.”
To
commemorate the partnership with Toys for Tots, Coca-Cola commissioned New
York-based sculptor Nathan Sawaya to create two original pieces of art made from
thousands of bottle caps. Best known for his works featuring LEGO® bricks,
Sawaya has incorporated more than 43,000 bottle caps to create an oversized
replica of the iconic Toys for Tots train and a mosaic depicting the famous
Coca-Cola Polar Bear. The sculptures, which are Sawaya’s first bottle cap
creations, remind people to donate My Coke Rewards points found under their
bottle caps to Toys for Tots.
“The goal
of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to deliver a message
of hope to underprivileged children during the holiday season,” said Bill Grein,
vice president of Marines Toys for Tots Foundation. “Through support from
partners like Coca-Cola that understand the value of giving, we are able to
fulfill the dreams of thousands of children each
year.”
Joined by
members of the U.S. Marine Corps, Sawaya unveiled his sculptures at the World of
Coca-Cola in Atlanta this morning. The Toys for Tots train
measures 18-feet long by four-feet tall and the Polar Bear mosaic measures
eight-feet long by six-feet tall. The sculptures will remain on display through
the end of the year to encourage people to check under Coca-Cola bottle caps for
My Coke Rewards points they can donate to Toys for Tots. At the end of the
holiday season, the train will be relocated to the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for
Tots Foundation in Quantico, Virginia.
My Coke
Rewards point codes can be found on bottle caps and inside multi-packs of
Coca-Cola Classic, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero, Sprite, Fanta, DASANI, POWERade,
and many other brands. People can visit www.mycokerewards.com to donate points
to Toys for Tots through the end of the year. Members also can redeem their
points year-round for exclusive rewards and unforgettable
experiences.
Coca-Cola
is bringing the joy of the holidays to people across the country in a number of
other ways this season, including:
- Vintage Glass
Bottles – Celebrating timeless refreshment for the
holidays, Coca-Cola is available in special vintage glass bottles that replicate
the design of the 1899 “Hutchinson” bottle. With a straight-sided
shape, the 1899 bottle was the first to feature the Coca-Cola logo. The bottles
are available in six-pack carriers featuring an image of the Coca-Cola Santa. - Holiday Packaging – Coca-Cola multi-packs
and multi-liter packages include an image of the Coca-Cola Polar Bear presenting
Santa with a bottle of Coke tied with a bow. Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero
packaging includes festive images of ornaments and gifts. - Holiday Caravan – Decorated with 25,000
twinkling lights and the Coca-Cola Santa image, the five semi-trucks of the
Coca-Cola Holiday Caravan are spreading holiday cheer across the country. At
each stop, visitors can send a greeting to Santa’s workshop through the Toys for
Tots “North Pole Outpost.” For every letter received, Coca-Cola will donate $1
to Toy for Tots, up to $25,000.
About The Coca-Cola
Company
The
Coca-Cola Company is the world’s largest beverage company. Along with Coca-Cola,
recognized as the world’s most valuable brand, the Company markets four of the
world’s top five nonalcoholic sparkling beverage brands, including Diet Coke,
Fanta and Sprite, and a wide range of other beverages, including diet and light
beverages, waters, juices and juice drinks, teas, coffees, energy and sports
drinks. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, consumers in
more than 200 countries enjoy the Company’s beverages at a rate exceeding 1.4
billion servings each day. For more information about The Coca-Cola Company,
please visit our website at
www.thecoca-colacompany.com.
About Toys for
Tots
The
Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Foundation, an IRS recognized 501 (c) (3)
not-for-profit public charity, is the authorized fund raising and support
organization for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for
Tots Program. The Foundation provides the funding and support needed for
successful annual toy collection and distribution campaigns. The Foundation is
located at Marine Corps Base, Quantico, Virginia. Local Marine Corps Reserve units and
volunteer organizations collect and distribute toys in more than 600 communities
covering all 50 states, the District of
Columbia and Puerto
Rico.