IKEA Jacksonville has donated 500 plush teddy bears, in addition to some virtual reality glasses, to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Jacksonville as part of the company’s nationwide “Let’s Play” campaign, which gives customers the opportunity to purchase new soft toys and donate them to a local organization.
“Let’s Play” is an eight-week campaign that ran Nov. 1 to Dec. 24. It generated support from hundreds of local IKEA supporters and employees.
IKEA loyalty manager Andrea Dombrowski was excited to join other employees in personally delivering the plush bears.
“We believe kids are the most important people in the world, and IKEA is excited to be part of their development through play and imagination as the building blocks for their future,” she said. “When we looked at organizations that we felt would experience the greatest impact from this donation, it was an easy choice to choose Ronald McDonald House of Jacksonville.”
“The employees and customers of IKEA have done an exceptional job collecting these adorable teddy bears and amazing virtual reality glasses for children staying at our house,” said Diane Boyle, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Jacksonville executive director. “To receive this thoughtful donation after a busy holiday season really reminds us that the Jacksonville community is committed to our seeing our children weather their medical diagnosis with a smile. These bears will certainly bring comfort not only to children who are physically staying with us, but also to children who are still receiving inpatient care at local hospitals.”
