OAK BROOK, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ty Warner, CEO and President of Ty, announced the introduction of two special Beanies^® created to help relief efforts following the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Mr. Warner has collaborated with Licensing partner Sanrio^®, Inc. and longstanding charitable partner American Red Cross^® to offer an exclusive Hello Kitty^® I LOVE JAPAN Beanie Baby^®. Ty will make a donation of $1 million to the American Red Cross on behalf of this exclusive Hello Kitty Beanie Baby.

Ty has also partnered with Save the Children^® to create an exclusive HOPE FOR JAPAN^™ Beanie Boo^®. Mr. Warner will also contribute $1 million to the Save the Children Foundation on behalf of the HOPE FOR JAPAN Beanie Boo.

“I am deeply moved by the disaster in Japan. I have visited the beautiful nation of Japan many times, and when I learned of the tragedy, my initial thought was of my Sanrio friends & colleagues headquartered in Tokyo. I designed a special Hello Kitty and called the American Red Cross, who we have worked successfully with many times to handle relief efforts. As I kept hearing more and more devastating news about the children, I reached out to the Save the Children Foundation, which is exactly aligned with my corporate mission and have also guaranteed a $1 million donation to help their relief efforts,” said Ty Warner.

"We feel proud to be a beneficiary of Ty's generosity again," said Michael Brown, Vice President of Corporate and Foundation Partnerships at the American Red Cross. "We rely on the public's generosity and appreciate Ty's willingness to enable millions of people to participate in helping the Red Cross bring comfort and relief to those who need it most."

“Ty’s partnership with Save the Children to benefit children in Japan who’ve experienced events that no child should ever endure, is a tremendous opportunity for us to bring comfort and hope to their lives. For years, Ty and its universally recognized products and red heart logo have made a great difference in helping agencies like ours assist those in need, and I speak for our staff working nonstop in Japan in expressing our gratitude to Ty Warner and his team for joining Save the Children. At a time when children’s recovery from these disasters is only just beginning, Ty and Save the Children will be there to lend the hand they need,” said Charles MacCormack, President of Save the Children US.

Both exclusive Beanies will be offered to benefit relief efforts at retailers worldwide and can be ordered on Ty.com. The thoughts and prayers of Ty are with those whose lives have been affected by this tragedy.

About Ty Warner

Ty Warner is an American toy manufacturer and owner of luxury hotels worldwide. He is Chairman, CEO, sole owner and founder of Ty Inc., the largest manufacturer of plush in the world. Warner is a philanthropist, donating over one million Beanie Babies^® for children in Iraq and more than $200 million worth of plush toys for a variety of charities. Additionally, Warner has designed and produced a number of Beanie Babies, donating all or a portion of the profits to charity. In 2006, Warner received the Children's Champion Award from Children's Hunger Fund for his philanthropic efforts.

About SANRIO

SANRIO, best known for global icon Hello Kitty^® and home to many more endearing characters including Chococat^®, My Melody^®, and Keroppi^®, is celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year. August 2010 kicked off the golden anniversary for the worldwide lifestyle brand that was founded on the “small gift, big smile^®” philosophy -- that a small gift can bring a big smile to people of all ages. Today, over 50,000 Sanrio-branded items are sold in over 70 countries around the world. In the Western Hemisphere SANRIO character-branded products are sold in upwards of 12,000 locations including department, specialty, national chain stores and over 100 Sanrio boutiques. For more information, please visit www.sanrio.com.

About AMERICAN RED CROSS

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.

About SAVE THE CHILDREN

Save the Children is the leading, independent organization that creates lasting change for children in need in the United States and around the world. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

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