SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ: AMZN) – Today, Amazon announced an easy way for customers to donate a backpack full of school supplies via Alexa to a student in need. Customers simply say, “Alexa, Donate to Happy School Year,” and they will be presented with a backpack offer from Amazon. After the customer confirms the order for donation, Amazon will fill the backpack with basic school supplies and ship it directly to Communities In Schools, the nation’s largest provider of in-school resources and support to students in need. Customers will be delighted by a thank you message from Shaq himself, a member of the Communities in Schools National Board. The curated list of basic school supplies include pencils, pens, a ruler and a notebook and are included within the backpack at no additional cost to the customer. For more information, please visit www.amazon.com/happyschoolyeardonate.
“Alexa creates convenient time savers for busy customers and their families whether they are building a back-to-school shopping list, asking questions about products, purchasing items for their family or making donations to the community," said Chuck Moore, VP Alexa. “Alexa makes it easy for customers to brighten the start of the school year for children who need it most. Donating is simple - just say ‘Alexa, Donate to Happy School Year.’ We can’t wait to see the generosity of our customers this back-to-school season.”
Happy School Year Donation Events
To give more children the Happy School Year they deserve, Amazon is teaming up with Shaquille O’Neal and Zappos for Good to host back-to-school donation events throughout the summer. Shaq-to-School events will provide school supplies to 5,000 students in need, thanks to donations from Yoobi, Pentel, Hasbro, 3M, JVC, Panasonic and AmazonBasics.
“Education is an important foundation for success,” said O’Neal. “With the Shaq-to-School program, we provide classroom essentials to kids who need them most, allowing them to concentrate on their studies. Thanks to Amazon and Zappos, we’ll reach even more kids with our donations this year.”
Additionally, Amazon will team up with Ciara to host a Happy School Year block party later this summer, where guests can donate school supplies at an Alexa Donation Station. The event will celebrate the start of a new school year, encouraging students to set intentions for a Happy School Year and participate in activities like a healthy meal planning demonstration, backpack embroidery and sneaker customization.
Happy School Year Store
Amazon’s Happy School Year Store is a one stop shop for parents, students and teachers, with everything they need to go back-to-school prepared and in style. If you are planning to shop the store, be sure to check out AmazonSmile. AmazonSmile is a simple way for customers to support their favorite charity every time they shop with Amazon, at no extra cost. Customers who shop at smile.amazon.com will find the same Amazon they know and love, with the added bonus that AmazonSmile will donate a portion of the purchase price of eligible items to the charity they choose. Customers can select from over a million charities, including more than 150,000 eligible education-related charities like schools and PTA’s. To shop the store and learn more about opportunities to donate, customers can visit smile.amazon.com/happyschoolyear.
More ways to give back to students in need this back-to-school season:
- Alexa Donations: Customers who wish to make a monetary donation to the charity of their choice can do so. Simply say, “Alexa, I want to make a donation” to get started.
- Charity Lists: Customers can shop Charity Lists and easily donate items of need to charities. Charity Lists give non-profits an easy way to create lists while providing a convenient way for customers to donate needed items directly to the charity of their choice with the reassurance that the list is managed by the charity. Customers can shop thousands of Charity Lists by visiting smile.amazon.com/charitylists.
- Zappos for Good Collection, Shaq edition: Limited edition hoodie by Psycho Bunny in support of the Communities in Schools program available at Zappos.com.
Happy School Year Educator Events
Also, to support educators for the school year, Amazon Business provided a monetary donation to the Fresno Unified School District for their new robotics program and, in collaboration with the company’s local fulfillment center employees, is revamping STEM classrooms at four elementary schools in Virginia’s Petersburg School District with a fresh look and all new supplies to better enable learning. All educators can take advantage of savings on hundreds of millions of items by visiting amazon.com/educatorshappyschoolyear.
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.
About Zappos.com
Established in 1999, Zappos.com is a leading customer service company and innovator in online retail, company culture, and organizational evolution. Specializing in shoes, clothing, and more, Zappos WOWs customers through its legendary 365-day return policy, fast/free shipping, and 24/7 friendly service. To learn more about how Zappos shares its unique culture with the world and fosters community efforts, visit ZapposInsights.com and ZapposForGood.org. Zappos.com LLC is a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc.
About Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal is a four-time NBA Champion and three-time NBA Finals MVP. The retired, 15-time NBA All-Star was named as both one of the highest ranked athletes in the NBA and most influential in sports. With a PhD in Leadership and Education, this iconic marketing and social media marvel is ranked among the "100 Most Creative People in Business" by Fast Company Magazine. As a celebrity, athlete, business professional and comedian, O'Neal has an enormous and devoted fan base across a variety of demographics. Visit Shaq.com; follow @Shaq on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
About Communities In Schools
Communities In Schools (CIS) is the nation’s largest organization dedicated to empowering at-risk students to stay in school and on a path to a brighter future. Working directly inside more than 2,300 schools across the country, we connect kids to caring adults and community resources designed to help them succeed. We do whatever it takes to ensure that all kids – regardless of the challenges they may face – have what they need to realize their potential.
About Authentic Brands Group
Authentic Brands Group (ABG) is a brand development, marketing and entertainment company, and co-owner of the Shaquille O’Neal brand. Headquartered in New York City, ABG manages, elevates and builds the long-term value of more than 50 consumer brands and properties by partnering with best-in-class manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers. Its brands have a global retail footprint in more than 100,000 points of sale across the luxury, specialty, department store, mid-tier, mass and e-commerce channels and more than 4,930 freestanding stores and shop-in-shops around the world.
ABG is committed to transforming brands by delivering compelling product, content, business and immersive experiences. It creates and activates original marketing strategies to drive the success of its brands across all consumer touchpoints, platforms and emerging media. ABG’s portfolio of iconic and world-renowned brands generates $9.3 billion in annual retail sales and includes Marilyn Monroe, Mini Marilyn, Elvis Presley, Muhammad Ali, Shaquille O'Neal, Sports Illustrated, Dr. J, Greg Norman, Neil Lane, Thalia, Michael Jackson (managed brand), Nautica, Aéropostale, Juicy Couture, Vince Camuto, Herve Leger, Judith Leiber, Frederick's of Hollywood, Nine West, Frye, Jones New York, Louise et Cie, Sole Society, Enzo Angiolini, CC Corso Como, Hickey Freeman, Hart Schaffner Marx, Adrienne Vittadini, Taryn Rose, Bandolino, Misook, 1.STATE, CeCe, Chaus, Spyder, Tretorn, Tapout, Prince, Volcom, Airwalk, Vision Street Wear, Above The Rim, Hind, Thomasville, Drexel and Henredon.
For more information, visit authenticbrandsgroup.com. Follow ABG on Twitter, Linkedin and Instagram.
