In December 2014, Duracell and Hasbro invited the public to pen their Christmas well-wishes for the students of Rainbow Centre Singapore. These well wishes along with $10,000 worth of gift toys presented by Duracell and Hasbro were donated to the students in the early intervention programme from Rainbow Centre Singapore, a voluntary welfare organisation catering to students below 18 years old with special needs associated with Down syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, developmental delay and multiple disabilities. These toys will help students at Rainbow Centre Singapore develop and facilitate cognitive, motor and social skills according to their individual needs.
Our Parenting World is honoured to be able to interview Deeksha Kakkar, Duracell Brand Spokesperson and Regina Toh, Marketing Manager, Hasbro Singapore who will be sharing with us on this meaningful and wonderful initiative.
Deeksha Kakkar, Duracell Brand Spokesperson:
1) This is a meaningful and wonderful initiative by Duracell to partner with Hasbro to donate toys to Rainbow Centre. Can you share with us more about how this partnership comes about?
Over the years, Duracell has been proudly committed to leading charitable initiatives and powering holiday spirits across the world and the 2014 Christmas season was no different.
With our friends from Hasbro, we are delighted to have brought seasonal cheer to the students of Rainbow Centre Singapore. This was done through donating $10,000 worth of Hasbro toys as well as gathering heartfelt well wishes from the public.
The toys are intended to help the students develop and facilitate cognitive and gross motor skills through play while increasing their social engagement skills with their peers in the classroom. In addition, members of the public were invited to pen down notes of encouragement and cheer at Well Wishes Christmas trees made accessible across selected NTUC FairPrice outlets islandwide – NTUC Fairprice Ang Mo Kio Hub, Changi Business Park, Nex Mall and Singapore Sports Hub.
2) Why did you choose to donate to Rainbow Centre, Singapore?
At the heart of Duracell we pride ourselves in keeping families connected and powered. Our passion for nurturing, learning and development of children through play with battery-operated toys is no exception. It was a natural fit to show our support to Rainbow Centre Singapore, where a holistic and developmental approach is pursued to serve the special needs of students through a variety of Special Education, Early Intervention, training and consultancy programmes.
3) Any plans for similar Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives for Duracell in the near future?
Aside from donating $10,000 worth of toys and well-wishes together with Hasbro, Duracell has been leading and supporting Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives every Christmas in Singapore for the past three years. We remain dedicated to powering joy for children and hope to organise another great initiative in the near future.
Interview with Regina Toh, Marketing Manager, Hasbro Singapore:
1) Children love Hasbro brands of toys and it is a wonderful gesture by Hasbro to donate toys to Rainbow Centre. Can you share with us more about this partnership with Duracell?
At Hasbro, we believe that the joy of play is essential to one’s childhood. We also know that toys and games can have an immense impact on a child’s development. We wanted to collaborate with Duracell to bring smiles to the faces of the children at the Rainbow Centre Singapore, and through play, help them learn valuable skills that they can bring with them into adulthood.
2) What are the type of toys Hasbro donated to Rainbow Centre in this event? How do you think the toys would benefit the children?
We selected a range of toys from our different brands to cater not only to the different ages of the students at Rainbow Centre, but more importantly to their individual development needs.
For preschoolers, we selected toys from brands such as Playskool and Baby Alive to teach them not only the basics – the ABC’s, colours, and numbers – but also to further develop their cognitive, motor and social skills.
Play-Doh, one of my favourite toys when I was a child, helps to encourage creativity amongst the older children while Monopoly Junior gives them useful skills such as math and money management.
For the teenagers, games such as Twister and Boggle help to further develop their analytical and motor functions.
3) Any plans for similar Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives for Hasbro in the near future?
It is no surprise that Hasbro has a long history of working with partners and benefiting children, and that forms a large part of our CSR efforts. I’m sure we will have something coming up in the near future as we believe in empowering every child through the sparkle of Hope, the joy of Play and the power of Service.
We are always on the lookout for collaborations with willing partners all year round, regardless of the season, to bring joy and happiness to children in Singapore.
Thank you to Deeksha Kakkar and Regina Toh for taking our interviews!
If you would like to support the children at Rainbow Centre Singapore, please visit http://www.rainbowcentre.org.sg/ to find out more information.
