BERKELEY, Calif., Oct. 1, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Celebrating the company's 5th anniversary, One World Play Project is taking its mission of enabling play opportunities into new playing fields. Starting today, any One World Play Project purchase will help fund play projects that will expand the positive impact of play worldwide.
Buy & Give: Different Ways for You to Support Play
Play is in our DNA—it helps people recover from trauma, cope with challenging situations and create bonds that transcend race, culture, gender and ideology. Since 2010, One World Play Project has been committed to providing play opportunities for disadvantaged children and communities around the world.
One World Play Project started with the One World Futbol—an ultra-durable ball that never needs a pump or goes flat, even when punctured—founded on a "Buy One, Give One" model: whenever you buy a One World Futbol, we donate a second ball to youth in need. To date, working with our partner network of over 50,000 individual organizations, we have donated and distributed over 1.5 million One World Futbols in more than 175 countries worldwide—impacting over 45 million lives with the transformative power of play.
"As we continued deliveries of One World Futbols, we realized that our partner organizations needed additional support to enable new play opportunities," said Lisa Tarver, One World Play Project founder and chief giving officer. "Play comes in many forms—often going beyond a ball, and our partners often asked us for help. As a result, we are extending our giving options to help fund these play programs and impact even more children through play."
Today, we are expanding our giving options to support play in all its forms. The expanded One World Play Project "Buy & Give" model aims to help organizations reach new goals with necessary resources specific to their programs. Now, with every purchase you make, a portion of proceeds will help support our new Play Projects Program—focused on organizations and initiatives in need of specific resources to enable play for youth living in areas where play is scarce or non-existent. Each play project is focused on a distinct need:
- Equipment: provide tools (e.g. balls, sneakers, rackets, uniforms)
- Infrastructure: fund areas and facilities (e.g. playgrounds, fields, courts, lighting)
- Programming: support programs with specific focus (e.g. health awareness, life skills)
- Post-Emergency Relief Assistance: give aid to programs that need play equipment or utilizing play as part of relief efforts following an emergency (e.g. natural disaster, violent conflict or humanitarian crisis)
As play projects are funded, new play projects will be introduced. To start, we are rolling out three play projects, helping our giving partners:
- Carolina for Kibera (Kenya) fund jump rope equipment—vital for the CFK Sprinters jump rope team, which has inspired children to actively pursue new goals, learn new skills and become role models.
- Fairplay for All (Phillippines) build a street court—a community resource that will offer different programs, encouraging children off of the streets and inspiring new opportunities.
- Street Soccer Mexico (Mexico) fund art and screen-printing supplies—helping children express creativity while also developing practical business skills needed for building a future.
Additionally, customers will continue to have the option of donating One World Futbols to campaigns and play projects through our "Buy One, Give One" or "Give Balls" options.
Wear Play, Where You Play
To celebrate our 5 year anniversary, One World Play Project is unveiling its first line of branded-merchandise. A natural extension of expressing how you play, merchandise options include: zip-up hoodie ($49), t-shirts ($28 each), adjustable cap ($25), beanie ($19), posters ($10 each), and set of 10 postcards ($5). With every purchase, you can select a play project to support. To purchase One World Play Project merchandise, visit our Play Shop: http://www.oneworldplayproject.com/play-shop/
One World Play Project collaborates with new and existing sponsors, partners and individuals to influence and expand the dialogue around the importance of play. Through our newly expanded Buy & Give offerings, anyone anywhere can help impact youth through the transformative power of play.
"Over the past five years, we have formed meaningful relationships with our giving partners and customers—a growing network that has helped make the vision of play a possibility for so many children worldwide," said Tim Jahnigen, One World Play Project, founder and chief innovation officer. "Looking ahead, we are excited to continue spreading the passion, purpose and boundless power of play to help youth around the world realize their fullest potential."
About One World Play Project
One World Play Project makes, sells and distributes products and services to enable play around the world, especially for those living in the harshest environments where play is nearly non-existent. The company is a B Corporation, harnessing the power of business for social good. Collaborating with sponsors, organizations and individuals, the company works to support, enable and expand the transformative power of play in all its forms—anywhere and everywhere. To date, One World Play Project has brought the power of play to more than 45 million youth in over 175 countries worldwide.
Official sponsors of One World Play Project include Chevrolet and MallforAfrica. Additionally, One World Play Project is a Global Champion of Designed to Move.
One World Play Project is headquartered in Berkeley, CA with regional offices in Asia, South America and Africa—and distribution centers in Fremont, CA and Voerde, Germany. For more information, visit oneworldplayproject.com or check out our community on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
Photos accompanying this release are available at:
