The LEGO Group is donating more than 14,000 LEGOLAND tickets to international charities to cap off this year’s World Play Day.
As part of its promise to bring play to those who need it, the LEGO Group is donating more than 14,000 LEGOLAND tickets to charities and nonprofits that help children and families in vulnerable positions.
World Play Day is the LEGO Group’s celebration of the UN recognised International Day of Play. The day was first officially recognised last year after the LEGO Group helped successfully lobby for its creation, and the company celebrated the first proper World Play Day this year with pop-up installations in London, Berlin, Shanghai and Boston. Further celebrations took place online, at partner organisations and, of course, at LEGOLAND.
Seven LEGOLAND parks across the world hosted the first ever LEGO Festival — a six-weekend long event that led up to the International Day of Play on June 11. Each park’s festival included its own host of activities for children and families, with the core of it all centring around a ‘play pact’.
Children were challenged to sign a play pact, which tasked them to build more, laugh louder and never forget to play. These wholesome challenges could be accomplished at the LEGO Festival’s five interactive play zones, and for each one turned in, the LEGO Group promised to donate LEGOLAND tickets to underserved children and their families.
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The play pacts ended up being quite the success during the LEGO Festival: 72,928 guests signed one. And all those pacts turned into 14,000 donated LEGOLAND tickets, which the LEGO Group estimates to provide 100,000 hours of play for children and families who need it most. The donated tickets, distributed to international charities and nonprofits thanks to the LEGO Group and Merlin’s Magic Wand Charity Foundation, will give families a full day of play at LEGOLAND Billund free of any charge.
“Thanks to the many guests who attended the LEGO Festival and signed a play pact, we can now create magical moments for children in vulnerable positions. We know how valuable it is for families to have time together where play and joy can fill the air,” said Senior Vice President for the LEGOLAND Brand Rebecca Snell.
The donated tickets will be used at LEGOLAND Billund on a day later this year thanks to a collaboration between the LEGO Group, LEGOLAND parks, Merlin’s Magic Wand and Save the Children.
World Play Day serves as an important reminder to the importance of taking a step a back and finding time to unwind and play. While the official day only comes once a year, the LEGO Group remains committed to spreading the joy of play across the world, with philanthropic efforts in London, Berlin, Shanghai and Boston all designed to bring play to children who need it most. And the pop-up event in London, the Play Pavilion in Hyde Park, will stay up through the summer as a way for families to get out and play.
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