PAWTUCKET, R.I., Dec. 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- On Thursday, employees of global branded play leader, Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAS), became holiday 'elves' as they celebrated the second Global Day of Joy, a volunteer initiative designed to spread cheer and bring positive change to thousands of children in 33 countries. From delivering toys and games to children and providing meals for the homeless to renovating playrooms and hosting special Hasbro Game Day events, Team Hasbro employees volunteered with more than 100 charitable organizations worldwide to make a difference through the power of volunteerism.

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"Our Global Day of Joy is a very special day to us because we all come together to make an impact in the lives of thousands of children where we live and work at a very special time of year," said Brian Goldner, President and CEO, Hasbro, Inc. "By combining the talent and dedication of our employees with incredible charitable partners, we are able to help bring joy to children on a very large, global scale."

Employees wearing Team Hasbro t-shirts in 17 different languages dedicated time during their busiest season of the year to participate in the Global Day of Joy, a unique opportunity open to all Hasbro employees. The day lasted 27 full business hours from the start of the day in Australia to the close of business in Los Angeles. Service projects from around the globe included:


    --  The delivery of Hasbro toys and games to all public elementary schools
        (over 5,100 total students) in the company's hometown of Pawtucket,
        Rhode Island, including a special opportunity for one school across the
        street from Hasbro's global headquarters, whose students were given a
        VIP tour
    --  Hasbro's entire Colombia office volunteered at an Operation Smile
        mission in the capital city of Bogota that will help hundreds of
        children in their country receive life changing surgeries to repair
        cleft conditions
    --  Transformers Bumblebee and Optimus Prime joined Mr. Potato Head and the
        rest of Hasbro's Latin America team to bring some holiday joy to the
        patients at Miami Children's Hospital
    --  Sorting and packing tens of thousands of toys and games that will be
        donated to many charitable organizations, including Toys for Tots,
        SeriousFun Children's Network and Give Kids the World

Hasbro hosted its first Global Day of Joy in December 2013 during which 75% of its employees participated in nearly 120 volunteer projects to serve 82,000 children. Inspired by last year's success, the program has become one of the company's largest global efforts, dedicating a single day of volunteerism to benefit children.

"All of Hasbro's philanthropic work stems from the tireless work of our extremely talented employees," said Karen Davis, Senior Vice President of Global Philanthropy & Social Impact, Hasbro, Inc. "Our employees volunteer thousands of hours during the year and the Global Day of Joy is an opportunity to harness this collective spirit on a single day to spread joy to children during the holiday season."

While Global Day of Joy is one of Hasbro's most exciting and impactful initiatives, the company's charitable work extends throughout the year. Hasbro's philanthropic programs focus on empowering childhood by bringing "the sparkle of Hope, the joy of Play and the power of Service" into the lives of children in need. The Team Hasbro employee volunteer program gives employees four hours of paid time off per month to volunteer with child-focused organizations where they live and work.

During the 2014 holiday season alone, Hasbro expects to donate more than a half million toys and games to organizations benefitting children, valued at $6 million.

To learn more about Hasbro's philanthropic programs worldwide, please see the company's recent Corporate Philanthropy Report.

About Hasbro
Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) is a branded play company dedicated to fulfilling the fundamental need for play for children and families through the creative expression of the Company's world class brand portfolio, including TRANSFORMERS, MONOPOLY, PLAY-DOH, MY LITTLE PONY, MAGIC: THE GATHERING, NERF and LITTLEST PET SHOP. From toys and games, to television programming, motion pictures, digital gaming and a comprehensive licensing program, Hasbro strives to delight its global customers with innovative play and entertainment experiences, in a variety of forms and formats, anytime and anywhere. The Company's Hasbro Studios develops and produces television programming for more than 180 territories around the world, and for the U.S. on Hub Network, part of a multi-platform joint venture between Hasbro and Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK). Through the company's deep commitment to corporate social responsibility, including philanthropy, Hasbro is helping to build a safe and sustainable world for future generations and to positively impact the lives of millions of children and families every year. It has been recognized for its efforts by being named one of the "World's Most Ethical Companies" and is ranked as one of Corporate Responsibility Magazine's "100 Best Corporate Citizens." Learn more at www.hasbro.com.

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SOURCE Hasbro, Inc.