By: CBS News
June 29, 2018
Toys "R" Us mascot Geoffrey the Giraffe has packed up his suitcase -- presumably full of toys -- and left his toy kingdom for good. A heartbreaking photo of Geoffrey is circulating, as Toys "R" Us closes its remaining stores on Friday.
The photo shows the giraffe in an empty Toys "R" Us, holding a suitcase and waving goodbye. The photo was taken by Rene Johnpiere, who appears to work at a Toys "R" Us. Johnpiere posted several other sad photos of the empty store on Facebook.
She shared photos of empty shelves, vacant shopping carts and a group of employees locking the doors of the soon-to-be shuttered store. "My heart is breaking," Johnpiere wrote with a photo of the store's sale signs.
She has also shared nostalgic Toys "R" Us commercials from the '80s and '90s to commemorate the end of the company. Her photo of Geoffrey the Giraffe leaving got the most attention, receiving nearly 300,000 shares on Facebook.
The image captures the end of an era and sadness many people feel watching their favorite toy store close forever.
Many kids grew up watching Geoffrey the Giraffe in TV commercials. The iconic jingle "I don't want to grow up, I'm a Toys "R" Us kid," was engrained in many people's minds. The store has made many countless peoples' faces light up over the past 70 years.
The pic of Geoffrey the Giraffe saying goodbye on the final day of Toys-R-Us makes me so sad pic.twitter.com/mfTvhgdoU9
— Jake Smith (@JakeTh3Tank) June 28, 2018
Toys 'R Us has closed down and if Geoffrey The Giraffe with his little suitcase leaving the empty store and the idea that we have all grown up and left childhood behind doesn't bring a tear to your eye then I can't help you pic.twitter.com/YSCxsvEhxo
— Gina Martin (@beaniegigi) June 28, 2018
Goodbye, Geoffrey the Giraffe. Thank you for everything. #toysrus Photo courtesy of Rene Johnpiere. pic.twitter.com/QLwujI3Isu
— Jerry Whitworth (@barnivous) June 27, 2018
The toy giant filed for bankruptcy in September 2017 and announced liquidation sales shortly after, CBS New York reports.
After the sad photo of Geoffrey went viral, the San Antonio Zoo set up a GoFundMe page to raise $100,000 with the goal to "persuade the owners at Toys"R"Us to join the effort to save giraffes by donating the use of their most recognizable intellectual property," their beloved mascot.
"I think Geoffrey the Giraffe signifies fun and childhood memories," a zoo representative told CBS San Antonio affiliate KENS. "What we're asking is that the executives at Toys 'R' Us would allow us to be the stewards of Geoffrey, their mascot, as a way for us to raise awareness for giraffe conservation."
"This is a chance for Geoffrey and the great people at Toys "R" Us to leave a legacy gift that has the potential to change the world and bring smiles to children for generations to come," the fundraiser reads.
Whether or not the zoo reaches its fundraising goal, the store closures and empty shelves do not mark the end of the memories so many people have of Toys "R" Us.
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