The U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, Hasbro, Inc, a global branded entertainment leader, and Marine Toys for Tots have teamed up to deliver toys and games to families and children impacted by the environmental and economic impacts in San Juan, Puerto Rico as a result of Hurricane Fiona.
Hasbro’s donated toys and games will be delivered by Fat Albert, the all-Marine KC-130 crew of the famed Blue Angels on Thursday, December 8th. The toys and games will then be distributed by Toys for Tots to families with children in need throughout communities in Puerto Rico.
The need in Puerto Rico is significant. At a time when families were already dealing with the pandemic and economic challenges of the past two years, communities across Puerto Rico were devastated by major flooding and destruction because of Hurricane Fiona. These families have suffered overwhelming loss, and the financial and emotional impact will be long lasting—especially for those without the financial means to recover, prompting Toys for Tots to increase efforts to provide holiday help and emotional support.
Hasbro is a long-time supporter of Toys for Tots, and this holiday season will be donating more than $2.5 million worth of toys and games to Toys for Tots distribution centers across the U.S. and its territories. The company’s generous donation of toys and games will enable Toys for Tots to deliver hope to children who need it most and bring the joy of play to children who otherwise would have missed out.
“We are honored to partner with Toys for Tots and the Blue Angels this holiday season to help bring the gift of play to children, young adults, and families across Puerto Rico following the devastation of Hurricane Fiona,” said Kathrin Belliveau, EVP & Chief Purpose Officer, Hasbro. “We want to extend a huge thank you to both organizations for their incredible partnership as we work together to help provide play, smiles, and joy to those in need across the entire United States this season.”
Shipping toys to Puerto Rico is expensive and proving difficult due to sky-rocketing costs and supply chain disruptions. The Blue Angels’ KC-130 logistics and support aircraft, affectionately known as “Fat Albert” and its all-Marine Crew have stepped up to offer their support (Again!). Another long-time partner of Toys for Tots, the ‘Bert Crew will load toys donated by Hasbro and fly them to San Juan. These much-needed toys will be received by the Toys for Tots Coordinator and the Marines of Det 1, Landing Supt Co, CLR-45 who will distribute the toys to families in need throughout the communities of Puerto Rico for the upcoming holidays.
In order to provide comfort and emotional relief to these families, Marine Toys for Tots is proud to partner with the Blue Angels and Hasbro to deliver messages of hope to impacted families. Together we are more than just the sum of our parts – which presents us with the opportunity to provide assistance, relief, and hope when it’s needed most—because every child deserves to experience the magic of the holidays.