Amazon announces a season of giving, donating millions of items through product and monetary donations to charities around the world that support the communities hit hardest by the events of this year

Toronto Maple Leafs Alternate Captain Mitch Marner, actors Pier-Luc Funk and Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse, Big Brother Canada Host and Executive Producer Arisa Cox, Canada's Drag Race Winner Priyanka, and television host Jessi Cruikshank have teamed up with Amazon Canada to drive donations for Breakfast Club of Canada and to fulfill Wish Lists created by Big Brothers Big Sisters of items they need most for the holiday season; they are joined by international celebrity friends who are surprising charitable organizations with donations all season long

SEATTLE, Oct. 20, 2020 /CNW/ - (NASDAQ: AMZN) – Today, Amazon announced that it will support more than a thousand charities around the world with product and monetary donations to help them get millions of items they need. Organizations in Canada, the U.S., U.K., Spain, Singapore, Japan, Italy, India, Germany, France, China, Australia and more will receive donations starting today. To help distribute the donations, Amazon will team up with celebrity friends worldwide, including Gabrielle Union, Mitch Marner from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Singaporean actor and musician, Nathan Hartono, among others who will continue to be announced throughout the holidays.

"Charitable organizations around the world serve a vital role in their communities, and they're facing new challenges—often with fewer resources—as we all continue to fight through a global pandemic," said Jeff Wilke, CEO Worldwide Consumer. "Amazon is proud to support over one thousand organizations by donating millions of the items they need to help their communities and, hopefully, deliver much-needed smiles along the way."

In Canada, as part of the company's longstanding pledge to help end child hunger, Amazon Canada is announcing a new multi-year commitment to Breakfast Club of Canada. In addition to a $500,000 donation for the 2020 holiday season, which will provide over 300,000 breakfasts to Canadian youth this year, Amazon Canada will donate more than $250,000 per year to help Breakfast Club of Canada distribute an additional 155,000 breakfasts annually. Amazon Canada employees will also volunteer their time in the communities where Breakfast Club of Canada operates, and the commitment will complement other upcoming initiatives designed to create positive, long-lasting, socio-economic change by impacting education and children's health.

"During the last 25 years, Breakfast Club of Canada's partners have endorsed our mission and are contributing to the nourishment and academic success of children in their communities. We are touched to see the solidarity that has allowed thousands of families to be supported in this crisis. To know that Amazon Canada is putting the well-being of children at the forefront of their priorities, with a focus on inclusion and food security, is incredible. We are very grateful to Amazon Canada for its important contribution which will make a real difference in the lives of children and families.'' Lisa Clowery, Director, Corporate Partnerships, Breakfast Club of Canada.

Find out more about how Amazon is delivering smiles this holiday season and ways to get involved below.

A Season of Delivering Smiles with Mitch Marner, Pier-Luc Funk, Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse, Arisa Cox, Priyanka and Jessi Cruickshank.
These six incredible Canadians have teamed up with Amazon Canada to drive donations for Breakfast Club of Canada and to help fulfill Wish Lists created by Big Brothers Big Sisters of toys, board games, electronics, and more. Plus they are working with Amazon on some fun surprises to take place along the way… Stay tuned!

They will be joined by a number of celebrities worldwide who will be surprising local charities in their communities with the support and smiles they need this holiday season. From large-scale product donations to virtual events and live interviews, customers can follow along via the #DeliveringSmiles hashtag to discover the various ways these celebrities will be bringing the spirit of the holidays to these wonderful organizations.

"As an athlete, I know the importance of a good breakfast. That's why it's so important to me that no kid starts their day hungry. I'm thrilled to be helping Amazon Canada and Breakfast Club of Canada deliver meals to kids across the country," said Mitch Marner. "It's been a tough year and we could all use a little cheer as we head into the holidays. And so it's more important than ever that we stick together as a community to make sure kids across the country get what they need to stay healthy, happy and strong."

"I'm excited to be part of this initiative, which will help various organizations like Breakfast Club of Canada. Amazon Canada's contribution will enable Breakfast Club to help even more schools and children in our communities, giving them a hand to reach their full potential," explained Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse. "I decided to support this initiative because the success of our young people is important to me, and I'm happy to know that even more of them will be able to start their day with the energy they need to reach their dreams."

"I am beyond thrilled to be involved with this initiative, helping kids across the country easily access food and experience the excitement of a new gift. I look forward to delivering smiles with the teams at Amazon Canada and Breakfast Club of Canada during this very different holiday season," said Priyanka. "The impact of Amazon's initiative will be seen both across the country and across the globe and I strongly encourage everyone to be a force for good in your own community by donating to those in need through the platforms and resources launched today!"

Give Back While You Shop. It's easy to give back this holiday season on Amazon.ca. While shopping for holiday supplies and gifts for family and friends, customers can support Big Brothers Big Sisters via Wish Lists they have setup of items they need most at amazon.ca/DeliveringSmiles. Customers who wish to donate directly to each of these charities instead can do so through the same link, but items purchased by customers from the wish lists will go directly to the charity.

Additional Ways Amazon is Giving Back to Communities. This donation builds on Amazon Canada's recent efforts to contribute to COVID-19 relief in Canada, including a $3 million donation to charities including the Canadian Red Cross, United Way and Food Banks Canada. Yesterday Amazon Canada also launched an employee donation match program dedicated to COVID-19 relief for underrepresented and underserved Canadians. The donation match runs until November 6 and Breakfast Club of Canada is one of five charities participating. Additionally, Associates working within Amazon's operations network across Canada will also have the opportunity to deliver smiles over the holiday season, by having donations made in their name to charities supporting isolated populations and working to end homelessness in Canada.

About Amazon in the Community
Amazon is committed to helping more children and young adults, especially those from underrepresented and underserved communities, have the resources and skills they need to build their best future. Amazon focuses on building long-term, innovative, and high impact programs that leverage Amazon's unique assets and culture. Initiatives include Amazon Future Engineer, designed to inspire and excite tens of thousands of children and young adults from underserved and underrepresented communities each year to pursue computer science, as well as programs that support immediate needs, including addressing family homelessness through donations and housing a homeless shelter in its Seattle headquarters, as well as global relief efforts for people in need following natural disasters.

Social Handles
Facebook: @AmazonCanada
Twitter: @amazonca
Landing Page: amazon.ca/DeliveringSmiles

About Amazon 
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.

SOURCE Amazon Canada

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