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Oriental Trading Company Makes Significant Impact In The Lives of Haitian Children

(Monday, March 1, 2010)

Over 10,000 Crayon Packs Donated For Therapeutic Drawing To Heal Emotional Trauma

Oriental Trading Company, the nation's largest direct merchant of value-priced party supplies, arts and crafts, toys and novelties, and a leading provider of school supplies and affordable home decor and giftware, responded to a request for crayons to assist psychologists who are helping newly orphaned children in Haiti deal with the traumatic experience of the recent earthquake and devastation.

"When we received the request for assistance with this effort we immediately responded," said Sam Taylor, CEO of Oriental Trading Company. "From Saturday afternoon through Monday evening the team at Oriental Trading went to work identifying the best product option, securing inventory and staging it for shipping. We had to get the product to Haiti on a deadline and we were determined to make it happen for these children."

American film actor, director, two-time Academy Award winner, Golden Globe winner, and social activist Sean Penn reached out to his circle of influence on behalf of 2 Life 18 Foundation, Inc. In doing so, word of the outreach efforts made its way to the Oriental Trading Company. Several camps with refugees and displaced persons have been set up in Haiti, one of which has over 50,000 people, including 10,000 children. Psychologists are working with these newly orphaned children in an attempt to help them deal with the profound trauma they have experienced. The children are participating in a therapeutic drawing exercise and are asked to draw four pictures: life before the earthquake, life during the earthquake, life after the earthquake and an aspirational dream image of their future life. "The immediate and future needs of the devastated Haitian people are incalculable and heart-breaking," said Sean Penn. "It's hopeful, inspiring and significant that caring folks like the team at Oriental Trading have responded reflexively and enthusiastically, with a willingness to do anything they can."

Oriental Trading Company offers thousands of educational and developmental products for teachers and children and is committed to enriching the classroom experience. Learning charts, awards and incentives, curriculum projects, teacher resources, learning aids and active play are just a few of the many categories that comprise the company's Hands On Fun classroom product line.

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