It may not be Christmas, but Toys”R”Us Canada is in a giving mood as recently helped to raise a record $1.5 million to help brighten the lives of seriously ill children and their families across Canada, bringing the company’s fundraising total to Starlight Children’s Foundation Canada to $10 million over the past 15 years.
“Helping children is the focus of our charitable giving at Toys”R”Us and Babies”R”Us, and we believe that kids should be kids, especially when they are going through difficult times,” said Kevin Macnab, President, Toys”R”Us Canada. “We are very pleased with the record amount of funds we raised that go towards Starlight Canada’s in-hospital and out-of-hospital programs to support sick children throughout their healthcare journey.”
“We are grateful to Toys”R”Us, Canada for its ongoing commitment to our programs, which allows us to continue to provide much-needed relief from the pain, fear and isolation that sick children feel dominates their lives,” said Christopher Barry, Starlight Canada’s President. “Our programs are integral to the total care of seriously ill children and this support will help us reach even more children across Canada.”
The funds raised by Toys”R”Us, Canada help support children like Eva.
“Eva, who is under four years old, was born prematurely with severe congenital heart abnormalities, has been in and out of the hospital her entire life. Sadly, last May Eva was hospitalized again for almost two months. “During all of the stress at the hospital, any small opportunity that made Eva feel like a regular little girl was an appreciated one,” said Eva’s mom, Anita Nakou. “When Eva’s DVD player in her room didn’t work, Starlight’s Fun Center really came to the rescue. Eva was able to watch videos through the Fun Center’s Wii system, which was a real relief. It was so nice to see my little girl transported out of the reality of her life in the hospital for a little while. Starlight provides both the means and the opportunity for us to spend some quality and worry-free family-time.”