SM Store’s annual “Shop and Share a Toy” campaign has spread holiday cheer to 6,000 underprivileged children across key regions in the Philippines, marking a 20 percent increase from last year’s 5,000 toy donations. The initiative, which ran from 1 to 10 December 2024, saw customers in Metro Manila, Cagayan, Isabela, Batangas, Bicol, Cebu, and Zamboanga City contributing to the campaign by donating toys for just P100 with every P3,000 single-receipt purchase.
In collaboration with SM Foundation, World Vision, Good Neighbors Philippines, and Rotary International, SM Store ensured that the donations reached those who needed them the most. Notably, children in Cebu received learning toys through a partnership with World Vision Cebu, while SPED (Special Education) schools in Zamboanga City had their play areas enriched with new educational toys, thanks to SM Store Mindpro and Rotary International Zamboanga City West.
This year’s effort also extended to areas like Solana and Cauayan in Cagayan and Isabela, where toys were distributed to local social welfare offices in partnership with SM Stores in Tuguegarao and Cauayan. The campaign emphasized the importance of play, with a 2021 study highlighting the significant role of toys in children’s cognitive and emotional development.
SM Store’s “Shop and Share a Toy” continues to brighten the holidays, turning a simple purchase into a meaningful act of kindness, fostering the season of giving across the country.
