A Presidential Candidate Both Parties Can Support

10-Year-Old Illinois Native Elected the First-Ever Toys"R"Us® President of Play

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Oct 10, 2016, 11:00 ET

WAYNE, N.J., Oct. 10, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- While Hillary and Donald's colorful campaign battles will continue to unfold over the coming weeks, Toys"R"Us^® is thrilled to announce the results of its first-ever President of Play national election. Ten-year-old Ariana Gentry from Swansea, IL will be sworn into office today, kicking off her inaugural year on the job where she will play with the hottest new toys and games and provide shopping recommendations to parents and gift-givers nationwide.

10-Year-Old Ariana Gentry from Swansea, IL is named the first-ever Toys"R"Us President of Play

Toys"R"Us Names its first-ever President of Play - Ariana Gentry (age 10) from Swansea, IL

CLICK TO TWEET: Ariana Gentry takes office today as the first-ever @ToysRUs #PresidentofPlay! Welcome to the team, Ariana! www.ToysRUs.com/PresidentofPlay

"Ironically enough our election was significantly less childish than the actual presidential race, and we could not be more pleased to welcome Ariana as our first President of Play," said Dave Brandon, Chairman and CEO, Toys"R"Us, Inc. "Ariana had a deep understanding of important issues - like the latest NERF products – and demonstrated a level of respect to her fellow competitors. Whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, I think we can all agree that she will be an incredible ambassador for Toys"R"Us and children all around the world."

Ariana rose to the top of the ballet in September – standing out from more than 1,000 video submissions thanks to her infectious smile and enthusiasm. She then went on to dominate during in-person interviews as one of 10 semifinalists at the Toys"R"Us headquarters in New Jersey. Ultimately, the decision was put into the hands of the public after a live Facebook debate against finalists Jessalyn Phanouvong (9) from Fresno, CA and Nate Shue (10) from Fairfax, VA. Though all three candidates went on major charm offensives, it was Ariana who ultimately won over the (tweeting) electorate and proved she was the best kid for the job.

"I can't believe I'm the first-ever President of Play! This is my dream come true and I'm so excited to play with all the new toys and work for Toys"R"Us – the biggest and best toy company in the world," said Ariana. "I also want to thank everyone that voted for me, especially my family and friends."

In addition to being the company's resident toy-tester, Ariana will also serve as a Toys"R"Us spokesperson at events, on social media and anywhere else the company needs a real kid's input.

For more information about the #PresidentofPlay, stay tuned to @ToysRUsNews, the official Twitter account of the Toys"R"Us, Inc. Corporate Communications department, and the company's newsroom blog.

To view and download President of Play photos and videos, including headshots, highlight reels, interviews, debate footage and more, visit: https://toysrus.sharefile.com/d-se35c877fcf64320a

About Toys"R"Us, Inc.

Toys"R"Us, Inc. is the world's leading dedicated toy and baby products retailer, offering a differentiated shopping experience through its family of brands. Merchandise is sold in 875 Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us stores in the United States, Puerto Rico and Guam, and in more than 765 international stores and over 245 licensed stores in 37 countries and jurisdictions. With its strong portfolio of e-commerce sites including Toysrus.com and Babiesrus.com, the company provides shoppers with a broad online selection of distinctive toy and baby products. Toys"R"Us, Inc. is headquartered in Wayne, NJ, and has an annual workforce of approximately 62,000 employees worldwide. The company is committed to serving its communities as a caring and reputable neighbor through programs dedicated to keeping kids safe and helping them in times of need. For more information, visit Toysrusinc.com or follow @ToysRUsNews on Twitter. Follow Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us on Facebook at Facebook.com/Toysrus and Facebook.com/Babiesrus and on Twitter at Twitter.com/Toysrus and Twitter.com/Babiesrus.