Chuck E. Cheese Brings Holiday Magic To Children In Need Through Nationwide Giving Tree Program

Kids donated nearly 1.5 million tickets to give tens of thousands of toys nationwide

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Dec 18, 2020, 17:21 ET

IRVING, Texas, Dec. 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Chuck E. Cheese, the nation's No. 1 family entertainment venue, has tapped into children's big hearts to help them bring the holiday spirit to kids in need in their communities through its Giving Tree program, a part of its in-store, online and at-home Winter Winner-Land Holiday celebration.

From Nov. 13 through Dec. 13, children who visited Chuck E. Cheese had the opportunity to donate the e-tickets they won playing games like Skee-Ball and Pop-A-Shot to local nonprofit organizations like Toys for Tots and Big Brothers Big Sisters to provide toys for other kids in need.

In cities across the U.S., Chuck E. Cheese's young guests demonstrated their generosity, donating nearly 1.5 million e-tickets. Chuck E. Cheese and its charity partners redeemed the e-tickets for tens of thousands of toys for nonprofit organizations to distribute this holiday season.

Among the groups served was Star of Hope Mission in Houston. Children in the community donated more than 44,000 e-tickets, which were redeemed for gifts that Star of Hope will deliver to Houston-area children facing homelessness this year.

"We were blown away by the generosity of our youngest Chuck E. Cheese guests, who donated an incredible number of e-tickets to our local charity partners, giving back to kids in need this holiday season," said CEC Entertainment CEO David McKillips. "After a difficult year for everyone, we are truly overwhelmed to see these children embracing the season's joy of giving to others."

For every donation they made, children received an ornament they could proudly add to a Giving Tree at their local Chuck E. Cheese location, providing an on-site representation of the total number of donations local children made to benefit other children in their cities.

"Our Giving Trees are overflowing with ornaments symbolizing each donation made over the past few weeks," said District Manager Frank Ramirez. "It's heartwarming to see children giving their prizes so freely, and it's a great example of the real joy of the holiday season."

To further add to the holiday magic this season, Chuck E. and his friends will read "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" on Christmas Eve. Children can enjoy the classic Christmas story, accompanied by on-screen illustrations and a closing prompt to set out milk and cookies for Santa. Visitors can hear the story beginning Dec. 24 at www.youtube.com/chuckecheese.

For more information and details on which locations have reopened for games and dine-in, guests can visit www.chuckecheese.com.

About CEC Entertainment, Inc. 
CEC Entertainment, Inc., is a nationally recognized leader in family dining and entertainment with both its Chuck E. Cheese and Peter Piper Pizza restaurants. As the place where a million happy birthdays are celebrated every year, Chuck E. Cheese — the place Where A Kid Can Be A Kid® — has the goal of creating positive, lifelong memories for families through fun, food and play. Committed to providing a fun, safe environment, Chuck E. Cheese helps protect families through industry-leading programs such as Kid Check®. As a strong advocate for its local communities, Chuck E. Cheese has donated more than $16 million to schools through its fundraising programs. Peter Piper Pizza features dining, entertainment and carryout with a neighborhood pizzeria feel and "pizza made fresh, families made happy" culture. Peter Piper Pizza takes pride in delivering quality food and fun that reconnects family and friends. With a bold design and contemporary layout, an open kitchen revealing much of their handcrafted food preparation, the latest technology and games, and beer and wine for adults, Peter Piper Pizza restaurants appeal to parents and kids alike. The Company and its franchisees operate a system of 568 Chuck E. Cheese and 122 Peter Piper Pizza venues, with locations in 47 states and 15 foreign countries and territories. For more information, visit chuckecheese.com and peterpiperpizza.com.