Since 2005, Mattel, Inc., and the Mattel Children’s Foundation have supported Special Olympics, focusing on Young Athletes™, Special Olympics Get Into It® and Team Mattel.
Mattel, Inc., and the Mattel Children’s Foundation launched a global partnership with Special Olympics in 2005. Mattel’s support focuses on the development of three programs:
Young Athletes™, which engages children with intellectual disabilities ages 2 through 7;
Special Olympics Get Into It® school-based curriculum, which teaches understanding, acceptance and involvement; and Team Mattel, which engages Mattel employees around the world as volunteers in the Special Olympics movement.
From the start of the relationship, approximately 10 percent of Mattel employees have volunteered at Special Olympics Programs in Asia Pacific, East Asia, Europe/Eurasia, Latin America and North America. In 2007, in addition to more than 2,000 employees who volunteered at Special Olympics Programs, Mattel provided one of the largest corporate volunteer teams for the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Shanghai, China. More than 50 Team Mattel employees from over 13 countries traveled to Shanghai to cheer on and support Special Olympics athletes.
In addition, Mattel provided financial support at the 2007 World Games for the Global Youth Summit, Family Forum and Young Athletes demonstration. Mattel also gave a limited-edition Hot Wheels car bearing the Special Olympics logo to each of the nearly 7,500 athletes participating in the World Games.