The Toys 'R' Us Children's Fund Raises $7 Million at Its 19th Annual Benefit Gala WAYNE, N.J., April 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Toys "R" Us Children's Fund, Inc. marked another great night in fundraising during its 19th annual benefit gala. Held on Wednesday night, featuring a live performance by GRAMMY(R) nominated artist, Smokey Robinson, the event raised $7 million for children's charities and organizations across the country. The charity event featured Rosie O'Donnell as host for the fundraising auction and is part of an overall philanthropic strategy to nurture and enhance the lives of children. "Each year, our benefit gala brings together the leaders in the toy industry who have a shared commitment to seeing us raise the funds needed to help the charities that serve children's causes," said John Eyler, Chairman and CEO, Toys "R" Us, Inc. "Raising $7 million, we are grateful to the individuals and businesses that allow Toys "R" Us to truly make the lives of children happier and healthier." This year, the money raised through The Toys "R" Us Children's Fund, Inc. will benefit more than 60 charities and organizations nationwide, including The Starlight Children's Foundation, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and Reading Is Fundamental. Since it was founded in 1992, The Toys "R" Us Children's Fund, Inc. has donated millions of dollars every year to organizations and charities that support the health and well-being of children. Because children are the heart and soul of our business, Toys "R" Us and its family of brands feel a strong sense of responsibility to do whatever we can to make the lives of children happier and healthier. Funds raised through The Toys "R" Us Children's Fund, Inc. are focused on supporting two major initiatives, The Kids' Playroom Program, state of the art playrooms in medical settings across the country, and Children's Literacy, pre-literacy programs for at-risk children. Toys "R" Us, one of the world's leading retailers of toys, baby products, and children's apparel, currently sells merchandise through 1,491 stores worldwide: 681 toy stores in the United States; 578 international toy stores, including licensed and franchise stores; 200 Babies "R" Us stores, and 4 Geoffrey stores, and through its Internet sites at http://www.toysrus.com/, http://www.babiesrus.com/, http://www.imaginarium.com/ and http://www.sportsrus.com/. DATASOURCE: Toys "R" Us CONTACT: Susan McLaughlin, , or Nicole Patzer, , both of Toys "R" Us, +1-973-617-5900 Web site: http://www.toysrus.com/

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