Mattel unveils collectible line of toys to honor workers fighting coronavirus

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Mattel is honoring essential workers fighting the coronavirus with a special edition line of action figures that will also extend to its Little People brand, the toy giant announced Wednesday.

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The #ThankYouHeroes toys, released under the Fisher-Price brand, will include 16 different action figures that include doctors, nurses, emergency medical technicians, delivery drivers and grocery store workers, the company announced in a news release.

“#ThankYouHeroes is designed to immortalize and honor healthcare and everyday heroes, and to drive additional donations to support first responders,” Chuck Scothon, senior vice president of Fisher-Price, said in the news release. “Whether these toys are given as a gift to recognize someone working on the front lines, or used as a tool to help children have conversations about how they are feeling, it is our hope that Fisher-Price toys, and play in general, can ultimately make these difficult times easier for both kids and adults.”

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Net proceeds from the line will go to #FirstRespondersFirst, which supports first responder health care workers fighting the pandemic.

Mattel also announced that beginning Wednesday and running through May 31, $15 from every online purchase of a toy from the #ThankYouHeroes collection will be donated by the company to The Entertainment Industry Foundation. The foundation is dedicated to providing essential supplies, equipment and resources for frontline health care workers and their families.

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The offer is only open to residents in the United States, Mattel said.

Wednesday’s launch is the first of several Mattel brands that will honor essential workers, the company said. Other products will be released over the next few weeks as part of Mattel’s “Play it Forward” platform, the company said in its news release.

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