Ninth Year of West 49’s National Coat Drive ‘Coats for Kids’ is underway.

Time to donate kids’ coats.

October means two things to West 49: their birthday (16 years!) and the start of the wildly successful 9th Annual West 49 Coats for Kids campaign. In 2006, West 49 was thanking their customers for helping them raise over 7,000 coats that year. In 2011 West 49 is astounded that they have had nine years’ worth of overwhelming results in this campaign including raising 15,000 coats in 2010. West 49 customers have consistently delivered strong community support by donating coats for kids who don’t have adequate winter clothing. To date, more than 75,000 kids have received winter coats as a result of this program.

“This is such an important initiative to West 49 and one that our customers have come to expect. With 114 stores participating this year we are excited to meet our goal,” said Cindy Mielke, Director of Marketing for West 49. “Every year our customers amaze us with their support of this program and I am excited to announce our goal for this year, as we celebrate our 16th birthday at 16,000 coats.”

West 49 Coats for Kids campaign begins on October 6th and runs through to November 17th. Coat collection barrels will be placed in each and every store. Everyone who brings in a clean, insulated gently used winter coat to any West 49 or Billabong, store across Canada will receive $25 off any winter jacket. Donated jackets will then be given to various youth shelters and charities across the country. What is unique about this campaign is that each store partners with a local charity in their area – so people in their community benefit from this program. In past campaigns, coats have been provided to organizations such as: Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Canadian Diabetes Association, Salvation Army, The United Way and local youth shelters and missions across the country.

Since 2002 West 49 has been collecting coats for kids who need to keep warm in the winter. Year one secured a few thousand coats and since then West 49 has surpassed the target collection goals every year. It is due to vendor partnerships with great brands like Billabong, Element, Ripzone, Spitfire, and Burton who have been long-time supporters of this campaign.

One in seven Canadian children lives below the poverty line according to the 2009 Report Card on Child and Family Poverty in Canada - a number that continues to go higher and not lower. While adult poverty in Canada is often temporary, poverty during childhood can do life-long harm.*  West 49 hopes that giving as many coats to kids as possible relieves some of the stress of a negative situation.

Coats for Kids is part of West 49’s ongoing community support initiatives, including the Habitat for Humanity Canada (HFHC) fundraiser.

For information contact: 
Micki Benedetti
905 466-2575, micki@benedetti.ca.
www.west49.com

* Statistics Canada, CANSIM data. #V1560777, Table 202-0802 [online, cited September 4, 2009].

It's the Mastermind Hot Summer Hits Toy List!

While the kids have already started dreaming about the last day of school, parents may be concerned by the 2011 Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card. The report reveals that kids are sitting idle indoors and spending over 40 hours a week in front of screens!!

To help parents keep their kids amused, energetic and alert during the summer months, the toy experts at Mastermind Toys, Canada’s leading specialty toy retailer, have been busy compiling a Hot Summer Hits List featuring a fun-filled assortment of 26 toys, including a large selection of items to keep kids active and occupied - rain or shine! All items are available at Mastermind’s 11 GTA locations and online at www.mastermindtoys.com.

Child's Life will feature each toy on the list here in this blog over the summer holidays - so check back for more great ideas for summer fun!

Mastermind Hot Summer Hits List (Toys 1, 2 & 3)

1. Radio Flyer Tailspin “Spin-Out” Trike, ($119.95) Ages 5+
This big-wheel trike is great for riding straight, but comes with a twist; yank the spin-out bar and the back wheels are raised so that the trike will power slide through a turn!
www.mastermindtoys.com/Radio-Flyer-Tailspin-Trike.aspx

Radio Flyer Tailspin “Spin Out” Trike

2. Spiro Bouncer Teeter Totter, ($79.95) Ages 2+
What do you get when you cross a bouncy ball with a spinning see-saw? Teeter-Totter fun with a bounce and a twist! This pint-sized, 360° teeter-totter features two balls for lots of bounce and extra-padded seats to ensure a smooth ride.
www.mastermindtoys.com/SpiroBouncer-Seesaw.aspx

Spiro Bounder Teeter Totter

3. Razor Graffiti Scooter, Ages 6+ ($69.95)
Colour your ride with the Graffiti Scooter! This spiffy scooter has a spring-loaded chalk attachment on the back that leaves a chalk-line trail as you scoot. Make your mark as you spin around the block.
www.mastermindtoys.com/Razor-Graffiti-Scooter-Clear.aspx

Razor Graffiti Scooter