More Than Little Green Houses – MONOPOLY Donates the Equivalent of the Game Bank to SOS Children’s Villages

Pawtucket, R.I., Monday, September 27th 2010 [ME NewsWire]:

For the past 75 days, MONOPOLY has been asking fans what they would do with the equivalent of the game bank – $20,580 – if it were to suddenly become REAL money. Now, with the vote over and the winners being verified, MONOPOLY has announced that it will be giving away the equivalent of another bank of money to global children’s charity SOS Children’s Villages, and is inviting the public to vote on which project will be funded.


MONOPOLY, the world’s favorite family game brand, has built more than 6 billion little green houses since it was first introduced in 1935. In a fitting tribute to the brand’s 75th anniversary, MONOPOLY chose to support SOS Children’s Villages, a charity organization that builds houses for abandoned and at risk children so that they can grow up in a loving home.


For 75 hours from Sept. 27 at Midnight GMT (Sept. 26 at 8:00 p.m. EDT) through Sept. 30 at 02:59:00 GMT (Sept. 29 at 10:59 p.m. EDT), fans can visit www.MONOPOLY.com to vote for the project they want MONOPOLY to fund. Projects for consideration include day care, medical supplies, school fees, seeds for family farms, soccer balls or training courses and more.


"MONOPOLY is 75 years young and to celebrate we’ve made dreams come true for MONOPOLY fans all around the world,” said Jane Ritson-Parsons, Global Brand Leader for MONOPOLY. “As an experienced property builder, we’ve teamed up with SOS Children’s Villages, a fantastic charity which doesn’t stop at building houses. SOS goes beyond shelter to build villages, communities and families so that children can live out their dreams.”


For more than 60 years, SOS has worked in more than 100 countries helping abandoned and at-risk children through its unique Village model, whereby a child grows up in a safe, loving environment, surrounded by SOS Mothers and other children who become “siblings.” The SOS Village is a safe haven and a chance for a life for so many children. For more information about SOS Children’s Villages, please visit www.SOSVillages.org.


In 1935, Parker Brothers began selling the MONOPOLY property trading game, which would quickly become a cultural phenomenon. Seventy-five years later, more than 1 billion people in 111 countries have played the game. Over the years, the game, the rules and certainly the little green houses have remained virtually unchanged though the outer packaging has gone through many revisions.


Today, the MONOPOLY brand entertains players around the world with MONOPOLY experiences to fit every lifestyle. This fall, Hasbro will introduce MONOPOLY: Revolution Edition and the U-BUILD MONOPOLY game. For more information about these new games, please visit www.monopoly.com.


Winners of the MONOPOLY Money Make It Real contest will be announced later this year. Join the conversation at www.facebook.com/Monopoly.


About HASBRO


Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS) is a worldwide leader in children’s and family leisure time products and services with a rich portfolio of brands and entertainment properties that provides some of the highest quality and most recognizable play and recreational experiences in the world. As a brand-driven, consumer-focused global company, Hasbro brings to market a range of toys, games and licensed products, from traditional to high-tech and digital, under such powerful brand names as TRANSFORMERS, PLAYSKOOL, TONKA, MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, CRANIUM and WIZARDS OF THE COAST. Come see how we inspire play through our brands at http://www.hasbro.com. The MONOPOLY name and logo, the distinctive design of the game board, the four corner squares, the MR. MONOPOLY name and the character, as well as each of the distinctive elements of the board and playing pieces are trademarks of Hasbro for its property trading game and game equipment. © 2010 Hasbro, All Rights Reserved. Facebook is a registered trademark of Facebook, Inc.


About SOS Children’s Villages


For 60 years, SOS Children's Villages has been providing family-based care for children without parental care and social services for families at risk. Through their Children’s Villages, Family Strengthening Programs, and other initiatives, SOS impacts the lives of over 1 million people each year. In 2009, SOS Children's Villages received the Save the World Award. SOS has also received numerous honors including the Mother Teresa Gold Medal, the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize, and the Vietnam Friendship Medal.


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