Queen Rania Supports Toys of Hope, Calls Local FM Station

October 11, 2007

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department – Amman) For a child, having a small toy to play with is usually a welcomed break from homework and chores, but for thousands of underprivileged children this Ramadan, the gifts they will soon be receiving as part of the Toys of Hope initiative will be bringing immeasurable happiness and hope.

Hearing about the initiative through the many promotions created by Play 99.6 FM, a local Jordanian radio station, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah called into the station's morning show, to voice her support for the project.

"All of our small efforts combined can make a huge difference," said the Queen during her first radio-call, “The idea isn’t just how much you can give, it’s how much of yourself you can give.”

Inspired by the simplicity of Toys of Hope, the Queen said, "[The initiative] teaches us that you don't have to be super rich or famous or influential to make a difference. It teaches us that each one of us has the power to make a difference and to help others and to be part of the changes we want to see, so I hope this galvanizes people to take action."

Encouraging the station and its listeners to continue harnessing their energy in such productive ways, the Queen said, "During the month of Ramadan it's great to do this, but we should be doing this also throughout the rest of the year, and that's really what Jordan is about. It's about being a closely knit family where everyone cares about everyone else, where everyone takes the initiative to think of everyone else and try to help out."

Earlier this week, Her Majesty had stopped by a nearby supermarket with one of her daughters to drop off a generous donation of toys. When asked about it on air, the Queen said, "It was such a rewarding experience to feel that you're doing something good. You've managed, through a very simple project, a very simple idea, to capture what Ramadan is about – it's about compassionate giving and caring for others and to really channel that spirit into something very productive and positive. So I hope through your initiative you've managed to bring a lot of 'play time' to all of our children."

Last year, the drive collected over one thousand toys that were distributed to the Mabarrat Um Al Hussein Care Center, in Marka. This year, organizers plan to expand the outreach and distribute toys to orphanages and care centers around the Kingdom. The station expects a much higher turnout of donations, due to the wide scale awareness campaign it initiated this year.

Toys of Hope is one of many community involvement initiatives launched by the hit music station. Play 99.6 continuously works to give back to the community that has supported it over the years. In 2007, the station was one of the main forces promoting Petra to become one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. It was also the first to launch the Live Earth campaign for promoting a cleaner environment. Play 99.6 is also a strong supporter of many charity organizations in Jordan including the King Hussein Cancer Foundation and Tkiyet Um Ali among others.

To listen to the complete phone call, log on to www.play.jo

No photos available. Please contact Mazen Halaby from Play 99.6 for photos of the orphanages that have received the donations so far and for more information about the initiative.

Mazen Halaby, Marketing Manager
Mazen@play.jo
Tel:  +962-6-4619060
Fax: +962-6-4619069
Modern Media Ltd.
P.O. Box 840616
Amman 11184
Jordan