According to an article in Forbes, RUSS’ Shining Stars® have made the Toys “R” Us “Fabulous 15″ list, the KB toys Hot Holiday List and were All-Stars on the Toy Wishes Magazine holiday list.
RUSS’ collection of soft, plush animals is reminiscent of Beanie Babies and a favorite of children ages 3-10. However, the popularity of these toys does not stem solely from the resemblance to a previous fad. RUSS has teamed up with the International Star Registry, allowing one to name a real star with the purchase of a $15 Shining Star®.
Owners of a Shining Star® can also become members of shiningstars.com by entering the secret code found in the sealed handtag of every toy. Once members, they can participate in Starcade chat, enter contests, play games and earn glow points. Glow points can be used to buy, build and save the cyber worlds they create for their Shining Stars®.
As explained in the Forbes article, children were encouraged to donate their glow points during the “Time to Shine” contest in October. For every million glow points donated, RUSS donated a Shining Star® to a seriously ill child at the Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation, an organization with which the company recently partnered.
The winner of “Time to Shine” attended Starlight Starbright’s 18th Annual Celebrity Sports Auction on Oct. 30 and met players from all of New York’s major sports teams. The runner-up received an autographed Shining Star® from Starlight StarPower ambassador and High School Musical star Corbin Bleu. His involvement is detailed in Shining Star News, where he is quoted as saying, “I think what Russ Berrie is doing is pretty incredible.” To date, over 1.5 billion glow points have been donated.
In addition, RUSS has donated $65,000 and may donate up to $850,000.
With all the perks of owning a Shining Star® and superstars such as Bleu endorsing them, the toys are bound to sell quickly. So whether buying one for yourself or as a gift, I’d advise you to visit your nearest toy store or online retailer and purchase your favorite Shining Star® today!
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