American Girl Recognizes Frontline Heroes & Their Families

For every American Girl #ThankYouHeroes Scrubs doll outfit sold, the brand will donate one craft activity book.

By Jennifer Swartvagher June 17, 2020

American Girl just announced its #ThankYouHeroes program. For every American Girl #ThankYouHeroes Scrubs doll outfit sold, the brand will donate one doll craft activity book to First Responders Children’s Foundation as part of Mattel’s “Play it Forward” platform focused on leveraging the company’s brands to raise awareness for, and give back to, important causes American Girl is also celebrating real-life heroes by giving fans the opportunity to nominate a local hero in their life and win a custom-made American Girl doll in their hero’s likeness.

“At American Girl, we’ve always celebrated the idea of acting with courage and compassion,” says Jamie Cygielman, General Manager of American Girl. “That’s why we’re proud to honor dedicated healthcare workers and other heroes who play critical roles in helping our friends, families and communities every day. Partnering with First Responders Children’s Foundation enables us to support the children of these heroes and provide a platform to recognize their dedication and service.”

The brand is recognizing frontline heroes and their families through Donations to First Responders Children’s Foundation, which benefits the children of first responders leading the fight against COVID-19. For every doll-sized American Girl #ThankYouHeroes Scrubs outfit sold, American Girl will donate one of its popular doll craft activity books, totaling up to $135,000 in retail value, to the children of first responders.

The outfit, which includes a pair of pink scrub pants, a colorful scrub top, slip-on shoes and a fabric face mask, is available for pre-order ($24) starting today through Dec. 31, 2020 at americangirl.com/heroes. The scrubs outfit is expected to ship to consumers in Aug. 2020.

Thanking real-life community heroes with a “Heroes with Heart” contest where from Jun. 8 – Jun. 26, 2020, American Girl fans can nominate an outstanding hero in their life by submitting a photo and answering how their hero is supporting their community. American Girl will select five Grand Prize winners who will receive a one-of-a-kind, custom-made American Girl doll and outfit in the hero’s likeness to be gifted to the honoree, along with a $200 American Girl gift card for the nominator. Winners and their hero dolls will be revealed in Aug. 2020 and honored on American Girl’s social channels and website.

In addition, American Girl is encouraging mask protection by giving away a free 18-inch doll face mask starting mid-June, and while supplies last, to each child visiting an American Girl store that has safely resumed business. For fans interested in making their own American Girl doll face mask at home, check out the newly-released DIY doll mask video on the brand’s free Stay & Play content hub for parents.

To learn more about American Girl’s efforts recognizing frontline workers and their families, as well as for individual store updates and new practices and guidelines to ensure a safe and memorable visit, please go to americangirl.com.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

All photos courtesy of American Girl

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