Chisato ShizumeThe holiday season is coming, and LEGO is rerunning its annual campaign this year. #BuildtoGive is a charity launched by the LEGO Group in 2017, where anyone can join the fun event by building a Christmas ornament with LEGO bricks at home. For every ornament created and shared with the hashtag (#BuildtoGive), LEGO will donate a set of its bricks to children around the world. Last year, the company gave 1.4 million sets of LEGO bricks to children in 25 countries in need of play.
This year, LEGO will run the goodwill charity in Japan too, as a part of the ‘Rebuild the World’ campaign. The LEGO Group believes in ‘the power of play,’ which means children gain valuable life skills such as solving problems creatively, while building confidence and resilience. It also shares how the company’s mission is to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow. The name ‘LEGO’ comes from the Danish words “leg godt,” meaning “play well,” which represents its corporate philosophy.
LEGO is a popular toy to give children for Christmas, but there are also other charity events in Japan for the holiday season if you want to help make it brighter for children in need. Here are two charities in Japan that you could join for this coming Christmas.
(1) Book Santa 2020
A non-profit organization based in Tokyo began a book charity project called ‘Book Santa‘ in 2017. This charity will give books to children going through financially difficult situations, suffering from natural disasters, fighting illness, or have lost a parent.
Anyone who wishes to join this giving activity can purchase a book online or at participating bookstores. Book Santa will then delivered it to a child for Christmas. More than 8,000 children have received books in the last three years. There are other ways to participate besides purchasing books, namely becoming an ambassador to promote the charity or supporting crowdfunding activities.
(2) Osaka Great Santa Run
Osaka Great Santa Run is a charity event inspired by The Great Edinburgh Santa Fun Run & Walk, a fundraising charity for children fighting life-threatening illnesses.
The Japanese version began in 2009, where participants wear Santa costumes and run or walk for 5 kilometers. The participants’ entry fees are used to purchase gifts for the small fighters who spend Christmas at hospitals.
This year, the run-and-walk event is canceled due to the spread of COVID-19. However, ‘Sant Claus @ HOME’ is planned as an alternative. Santa Claus and reindeer costumes or face mask with a holder are sold online, raising money to send gifts to children. And instead of visiting children at hospitals like the usual years, this year, a video message to show them will be made using photos of participants wearing the costumes purchased from its website.
The year 2020 was atypical and distressing for many, as the pandemic hit the world, causing crises at so many levels. Let us make possible efforts to bring a smile to children’s faces around the world for the holiday season by showing our heart of giving.
