Mattel Brings The Magic Of 190 Tons Of Snow And 20,000 Toys To Children During 12 Days Of Play

Back for its second year, the award-winning ¹ Mattel (NASDAQ: MAT)  12 Days of Play is making a difference in the lives of children while celebrating the joy and play of the holiday season. Following a successful inaugural year, this exciting philanthropic program is designed to bring the power of play to thousands of the most underserved children in Los Angeles County. This year, Mattel expands beyond Los Angeles taking the 12 days of Play on a tour around the world visiting other Mattel locations such as Australia, Spain, Poland and more.

With events taking place from Dec. 3 to 16, the 12 Days of Play brings all facets of Mattel – employee volunteers, philanthropic funds and toys from brands such as Barbie®, Hot Wheels® and Fisher Price® – together with local schools, community organizations and charities that serve children in need to create magical play experiences.

“Play is at the very core of development and learning, yet around the world too many children do not have access to play,” said Deidre Lind, executive director of philanthropic programs at Mattel. “The uniqueness of 12 Days of Play is that it brings all Mattel resources together at one time to make an incredible positive social impact. This new mindset is about inspiring people to think beyond the framework of individual giving. Last year was a huge success and we are excited to extend beyond Los Angeles to touch the lives in children all over the world.”

In Los Angeles, some of the most underserved kids can look forward to receiving 20,000 toys and 190 tons of snow at seven different Winter Wonderland events during Mattel’s 12 Days of Play. These events bring a snow day to sunny LA’s inner city children with snow falling every 15 minutes during the events. Activities include sledding, building snowmen and making snow angels, as well as Barbie dress-up stations, Hot Wheels racing tracks, music, food and much more.

The Mattel 12 Days of Play Winter Wonderlands are taking place at schools and organizations in Los Angeles County, including:

• Dec. 7: LA SCORES/Palms Elementary in Palms, Calif.
• Dec. 9: 112th Street Elementary in Watts, Calif.
• Dec. 12: Washington Elementary in Hawthorne, Calif.
• Dec. 13: Figueroa Elementary in Westmont, Calif.
• Dec. 14: 10 ^th Street Elementary in Los Angeles, Calif.
• Dec. 15: LA’s BEST (at Mattel’s El Segundo headquarters)
• Dec. 16: Grape Street Elementary in Watts, Calif.

In addition to the Winter Wonderlands, Mattel’s 12 Days of Play volunteer activities include gift wrapping parties where Mattel employees wrap toys for donation ensuring every child has an opportunity to experience the joy of opening a gift. Mattel volunteers also volunteer at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, participate in a tree lighting ceremony at El Segundo City Hall, and celebrate with kids at the Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA and much more -- all with the goal to make a meaningful difference this holiday season.

Mattel’s employee volunteers set the bar in 2010 during the Mattel 12 Days of Play with participation rates at more than 90 percent at El Segundo headquarters alone. This year, the Mattel employee volunteers (known as the Mattel PLAYers) aim to have 100 percent participation.

About Mattel

As the worldwide leader in play, the Mattel family comprises such best-selling brands as Barbie®, the most popular fashion doll ever introduced, Hot Wheels®, American Girl® and Fisher Price® brands, which includes Little People®, Power Wheels® and a wide array of entertainment-inspired toy lines. In 2011, Mattel was named as one of FORTUNE Magazine's " 100 Best Companies to Work For" for the fourth year in a row, and was also ranked among Corporate Responsibility Magazine's " 100 Best Corporate Citizens." With worldwide headquarters in El Segundo, Calif., Mattel employs approximately 31,000 people in 43 countries and territories and sells products in more than 150 nations. Mattel donates more than 2 percent of its pre-tax profit toward philanthropic activities. At Mattel, we are "Creating the Future of Play." Follow Mattel on www.facebook.com/mattel and www.twitter.com/mattel.

¹ Los Angeles Business Journal “Corporate Citizenship” award for Corporate Social Responsibility

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