Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund Renews Commitment to Helping Save Babies’ Lives September 28th, 2012

$10,000 Grant to Support First Candle’s Lifesaving Programs and Services

Baltimore, MD – September 2012 – First Candle, a leading national nonprofit committed to helping babies survive and
thrive, today announced a $10,000 grant received from the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund, Inc., a public charity affiliated with Toys“R”Us, Inc. The grant will be used to support First Candle’s ongoing education, research and advocacy programs that have been saving babies’ lives for the past 25 years. First Candle is also the only national nonprofit providing crisis grief support 24 hours a day, seven days at week, to anyone affected by the death of a baby.

According to Kelly Mariotti, First Candle CEO, during the past decade the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund has donated more
than $165,000 to support the organization’s lifesaving programs and services. “We couldn’t be more pleased to receive
this generous grant from our friends at Toys“R”Us. Every year, more than 4,600 babies die without warning before
celebrating their first birthday. This funding will help us expand our outreach efforts so we can save as many precious lives as possible . . . leading us closer to our vision of a future where all babies survive and thrive.”

Toys“R”Us, Inc. has a long history of giving back to the communities it serves by keeping kids safe and helping them in
times of need. Since it was founded in 1992, the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund has contributed millions of dollars to qualified organizations that support this mission. “The Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund is proud to continue our long-standing partnership with First Candle,” said Kathleen Waugh, Chairman, Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund. “As a company that loves all kids, we share in First Candle’s mission to promote safe pregnancies and the survival of babies through the first year of life.”

First Candle is a founding partner of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’s highly successful Back to Sleep Campaign and its soon-to-be launched Safe to Sleep Campaign. The organization is committed to working closely with Toys“R”Us and other national, state and local partners to save babies and heal families.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
About First Candle: First Candle is a leading national nonprofit dedicated to safe pregnancies and the survival of babies through the first years of life. With programs of research, education and advocacy, the organization is working to ensure that every baby is given the best possible chance to reach not only his or her first birthday, but many happy birthdays beyond. First Candle also provides compassionate grief support to all those affected by the death of a baby. For more information, to access grief support or to make a donation, please visit www. firstcandle.org or call 1.800.221.7437.

About the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund: The Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund is a public charity affiliated with Toys“R”Us, Inc., a company that unabashedly declares “We love kids!” The core mission of the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund is to keep children safe and help them in times of need. Since it was founded in 1992, the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund has contributed millions of dollars to qualified organizations that support that mission, including those providing disaster relief to children and families who are victims of large-scale crises. The Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund also provides grants to leading organizations that support children with special needs.

Primary fundraising activities include the annual Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund Gala, a private, invitation-only event that showcases the work of the Fund and raises money to support its many beneficiaries. This annual benefit has raised $100 million since its inception in 1985 and is one of the largest single-night fundraising events held in New York City.

First Candle Launches Letter-Writing Campaign to Help Save Babies’ Lives July 14th, 2009

Newly introduced legislation will help prevent stillbirth and infant deaths

For Immediate Release / Contact: Laura Reno, VP of Public Affairs, laura@firstcandle.org, 800-221-7437

First Candle today announced the launch of a letter-writing campaign in support of newly introduced legislation that will help save babies’lives. Every year in the United States more than 25,000 families are devastated by stillbirth and more than 4,600 otherwise healthy babies die suddenly and unexpectedly. The Stillbirth and Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) Prevention, Education and Awareness Act of 2009 was filed on July 14 by Senator Frank J. Lautenberg (D-NJ). A companion bill was filed in the House by Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr.

First Candle, one of the nation’s leading nonprofits dedicated to safe pregnancies and the survival of all babies during the first years of life, asks that all interested individuals contact their representative in the House and two Senators, urging them to join Lautenberg and Pallone in co-sponsoring this important bill. More information and step-by-step instructions can be found at www.firstcandle.org.

The bill would improve the collection of critical data to determine the causes of these tragic deaths, increase education and awareness about how to prevent these tragedies in the future and expand support services for families who have experienced a stillbirth or SUID loss.

“The loss of a child is devastating, and no parent should have to live without knowing why their child has died. We need to learn more about stillbirths and sudden infant deaths so we can not only give parents peace of mind after a tragedy, but hopefully prevent some of these deaths in the future,” Senator Lautenberg said. “Our bill would improve data collection and education efforts so we can better understand the cause of these deaths and help parents get the information and answers they need to prevent them.” Specifically, the bill would:

• Expand current data collection activities to additional states to identify the causes of stillbirth and ways to prevent it in the future.
• Create a national public awareness and education campaign to educate parents and caregivers about known risk factors for sudden unexpected death in infancy and childhood.
• Expand support services, such as grief counseling, for families who have experienced stillbirth or SUID.
• Establish a national database to track SUID deaths and identify risk factors to prevent them in the future.
• Expand successful child death review programs to track and analyze the circumstances surrounding infant and child deaths in communities nationwide.

“The bill introduced by Lautenberg and Pallone is a dream come true for parents,” said Dr. Marian Sokol, President of First Candle, one of the nation’s leading nonprofits dedicated to safe pregnancies and the survival of babies through the first years of life. “The death of a child to any cause is heartbreaking, but the sudden, unexpected nature of these deaths leave parents with many more questions than answers as to why their baby died. First Candle will be working at the grassroots level torecruit support for this important legislation that will no doubt bring us one step closer to a future where all babies survive and thrive.”

In addition to First Candle, the bill has been endorsed by the CJ Foundation for SIDS and Sudden Unexpected Death in Childhood Program (based in New Jersey), Cribs for Kids, Northwest Infant Survival Alliance (NISA), Home Safety Council, Safe Kids USA, all nonprofits working to stop infant mortality, as well as the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME), International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners (IAC&ME) and the National Sheriffs’ Association.

###

First Candle is a leading, national nonprofit organizations dedicated to safe pregnancies and the survival of all babies through the first years of life. With programs of research, education and advocacy, they are working to ensure that every baby is given the best possible chance to reach not only his or her first birthday, but many happy birthdays beyond. First Candle also provides compassionate grief support to all those affected by the death of a baby. For more information, to access grief support or to make a donation, please visit www.firstcandle.org or call 1-800-221-7437.