Toy Industry Association

Toy Industry Foundation to Launch the Holiday Season with a Toy Distribution for 5,000 Children at MacDill Air Force Base

The Toy Industry Foundation (TIF) continuously strives to put smiles on the faces of children in need, and this holiday season will be no exception, when TIF and Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) launch the winter festivities with their largest toy distribution to date.

As part of the TIF-BGCA Play Comforts partnership – which focuses on bringing the joy of play to the children of military families on our nation’s bases with the highest deployment rates – the November 17th distribution will reach more than 5,000 children at Florida’s MacDill Air Force Base.

“Members of the toy industry are deeply committed to giving back to our military families who have made great sacrifices for our country,” said Jean Butler, Executive Director of TIF. “Children who are missing one or both parents because they are deployed on active duty are in special need of comfort. The toy industry and the TIF are pleased to provide these small gifts that will inspire the joy of play and help give these kids something to smile about.”

Brand new toys and games from the TIF’s Toy Bank – which receives thousands of toys, games, and plush products year-round from toy manufacturers, retailers and distributors from across the country – will be accepted by senior MacDill Air Force officials on behalf of the Air Force community.

“We are extraordinarily grateful for the Toy Industry Foundation’s continuous generosity,” said Terrill D. Wicks, BGCA’s Vice President of Military Services and International Projects. “Their unwavering support for our military youth is greatly appreciated.”

The Toy Industry Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to bring joy, comfort, and learning to children in need through toys and play. The Play Comforts campaign was launched during the 2009 holiday season and is the only known toy distribution program to support every branch of the U.S. military. By the end of 2010, TIF and BGCA will have donated 25,000 toys to military children through Play Comforts.

Toys"R"Us

Toys“R”Us, Inc. Celebrates the 60th Anniversary Of Trick-Or-Treat For UNICEF

Toys“R”Us, Inc. has partnered with the U.S. Fund for UNICEF to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF. This well-known campaign encourages youth in America to help children around the world by collecting donations during the Halloween season while gathering treats for themselves.

Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us stores will serve as destinations for kids and families across the country to obtain the iconic Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF collection boxes, available through October 30, while supplies last. In addition, customers can make monetary donations benefiting the U.S. Fund for UNICEF through October 30 at all “R”Us® locations nationwide and online at Toysrus.com/UNICEF. The dedicated microsite at Toysrus.com/UNICEF allows visitors to learn more about Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF and features tips to keep kids safe on Halloween.

Toys“R”Us will also offer trick-or-treaters across the country the opportunity to design their very own Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF box. On October 30, Toys“R”Us stores nationwide will hold the “Geoffrey’s Halloween Parade Featuring Crayola!” event. During this event and while supplies last, little ones can dress up in their Halloween costumes, get a spooky reusable bag, take part in festive activities around the store and decorate a special Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF collection box to coordinate with their costumes, so that their trick-or-treating experience is extra special this Halloween.

Kidde Extinguisher Top Pick on ‘Today’ Show

Kidde’s 10B:C kitchen fire extinguisher came out on top in an unofficial test shown on NBC’s “Today” morning show recently.

Consumer Correspondent Janice Lieberman, working with the Worcester Fire Department at its training center in Massachusetts, tested various extinguishers’ performance on a kitchen grease fire - a common occurrence in the home. The show segment was based upon the results of a test conducted by America’s Test Kitchen and included the Kidde 10B:C extinguisher, the Home Hero and FirstAde 2000 extinguishers, and a fire blanket.

“More than 7 million viewers watch ‘Today’ each morning, and while this unofficial test shows the value and capability of our extinguisher in putting out a kitchen fire, most importantly, the segment helps to educate viewers about how extinguishers can help prevent loss of property or life,” said Chris Rovenstine, Director of Marketing and Sales for Kidde Residential & Commercial.

America's Test Kitchen is a half-hour cooking show distributed to public television stations in the United States and Canada that often test kitchen products for functionality and safety. The America's Test Kitchen results were published in the January 2010 issue of “Cooks Illustrated.” Kidde’s 10 B:C and the 1A-10B:C received “highly recommend” ratings in the original test.

The National Fire Protection Association reports that cooking fires are the leading cause of residential fires and fire injuries in America, and recommends homeowners place an extinguisher in the kitchen as additional protection. Kidde R&C offers a complete selection of fire extinguishers designed for different applications in many areas of the home.

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To see a list of Kidde fire extinguisher products, visit www.kidde.com.
To view the complete "Today" show segment, click here.

Toy Industry Association

Toy Industry Foundation Brings “Christmas in August” to Hundreds of Military Children

In early August, the Toy Industry Foundation (TIF) team traveled to North Carolina to distribute toys to hundreds of children of military families as part of the Play Comforts initiative. Designed to bring the joy of fun and play to thousands of children located on military bases with the highest deployment rates across the country, the Play Comforts program is organized by the Foundation in collaboration with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) Military Services. The initiative is supported by TIF grant funding and new toy donations made to the Toy Bank — the Foundation’s signature program — by generous manufacturers, retailers and distributors nationwide.

On Wednesday, August 4th, TIF and BGCA representatives visited Fort Bragg, home of the Airborne and Army Special Operations, to distribute toys to children of military families at one of the most active and combat-ready installations in the United States. Colonel Stephen Sicinski thanked the Foundation for bringing “Christmas in August” to the hundreds of kids in attendance, as he helped hand out toys to the Army community.

On Friday, August 6th, the TIF/BGCA team visited the Marine community stationed at Camp Lejeune, where they were greeted with handmade signs thanking “those in Toyland for making this possible.” Base Commanding Officer Colonel Daniel J. Lecce helped distribute toys to the excited children of the Marine community.

At the events Foundation volunteers and staff heard about the struggles faced by single parent soldiers forced to leave their children with grandparents for months on end, financial burdens, and the loneliness felt by the children in their parents’ absence.

“We’re in the midst of two wars, and sometimes I think we all feel like we’re doing it by ourselves,” said Colonel Lecce. “The Toy Industry Foundation doing this for us today … it truly does mean a lot.”

The joint TIF and BGCA Play Comforts partnership was launched during the 2009 holiday season with a toy distribution event at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C. In addition to the recent events in North Carolina, toy distributions were also held at the U.S. Coast Guard Base Portsmouth in Virginia (March 25, 2010) and at the Murphy Canyon Youth Center in San Diego (May 10, 2010).

“With deployment, there are so many things tied around what’s happening with the military member that sometimes the young people that are a part of this process are forgotten,” said Terrill D. Wicks, BGCA National Headquarters Vice President, Military Services & International Projects. “These events are a way for us to show our appreciation and when you see the joy on the faces of the children who are serving too, it really brings joy to my heart.”


TIA Spreads the Word about Safe, Active Play to State Legislatures

The Toy Industry Association (TIA) hosted a booth highlighting the importance of safe, fun and active play at the National Conference of State Legislatures Annual Summit (NCSL) in Louisville, Kentucky from July 25th to 28th.

The exhibit was seen by more than 6,000 state legislators and their staffs in attendance from each of the 50 states.

“This conference always provides a great opportunity to meet and interact with state legislators and to bring them up-to-date on the toy industry’s latest work to assure safe and fun toys,” said Joan Lawrence, TIA vice president of safety standards. “Capitalizing on the widespread public interest in promoting healthy lifestyles, this year we focused our participation not only on safety standards updates, but also on toys that promote active bodies and minds and the wide ranging benefits of play.”

TIA plans to represent the toy industry once again at next year’s Legislative Summit, to be held from August 8th to 11th, 2011, in San Antonio, Texas.


Video Library at ToyInfo.org Grows During Summer Months

ToyInfo.org, TIA’s one-stop resource for the latest on toys, play, toy safety and trends, continues to grow with new resources for parents and other caregivers.

For some of the coolest toys during hot summer months, check out the most recent installments in the “Reyne Talks Toys” video series: “Pack-and-Go Summer Travel Toys” and “Camp Care Packages.” Also in the Trends section of the website are newly posted videos about Outdoor Active Play, Indoor "Rainy Day" Play and a new take on Classic Food and Cooking Toys.

For more active engagement, visitors are invited to chat with others on the site’s Discussion Board, scan the latest Toy Recalls section for a quick review of products that might be found in the home, or have a look at the Links and Resources section for additional toy safety and play information.

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For more information about these and other TIF programs, please visit www.toyindustryfoundation.org.

Kidde

The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed the Residential Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act (HR 1796), which sets federal standards for carbon monoxide (CO) alarms and provides an incentive for states to require alarms in homes. The focus now turns to the Senate, where a similar bill is expected to begin moving through committee this fall.

Sponsored by Congressman Jim Matheson (D-UT), HR 1796 would create a mandatory guideline for all CO alarms sold in the U.S., including compliance with the third-party standard known as Underwriters Laboratories (UL) 2034.

In addition, the House bill would establish a $10 million federal grant program administered by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to provide assistance to states that engage in a CO alarm education and training program. The grants would help pay for development of training materials and the purchase and installation of alarms in schools and homes of low-income and elderly individuals.

Carbon monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in America, claiming 400 lives and sending another 20,000 to the emergency room each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is produced by fossil fuel-burning appliances, which under certain circumstances, including malfunction or improper ventilation, can cause CO to build up in a home.

“Because you can’t see, smell or taste carbon monoxide, a family must have confidence that its CO alarm will alert them when danger occurs,” said John Andres, vice president of engineering for Kidde Residential & Commercial. “Kidde’s CO alarms are rigorously tested to obtain third-party approval and meet UL 2034. In addition, we test 100 percent of our CO sensors and all of our alarms bear the UL mark.”

The safest known way to detect carbon monoxide is to install a working carbon monoxide alarm. Industry reports show that as of 2008, nearly 50 percent of U.S. homes had a CO alarm. However, a survey by Kelton Research found that, of those homes, only about half (27%) have more than one alarm installed. Fire safety experts such as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommend placing CO alarms on each floor and near sleeping areas. The majority of states with CO laws require this placement as well.

Currently, 27 states have some type of carbon monoxide alarm requirement, and Kidde R&C is actively working to support similar legislation in four more states this year.

Residential CO alarms are available at home improvement retailers, mass merchants and via the Web. For more information, visit www.kidde.com.

Kidde

Kidde's Efforts Result in Big Win in California

On May 7, Kidde Residential & Commercial (Kidde R&C) earned a huge victory when California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed SB 183 into law, making it the 27th state to require the installation of residential carbon monoxide (CO) alarms.

The law calls for CO alarms to be installed in existing residential dwellings that have fuel-burning appliances, a fireplace or an attached garage. It will go into effect July 2011 for single-family homes and January 2013 for multi-family residences. California’s building code was amended last year to mandate CO alarms in new construction beginning January 2011.

Governor Schwarzenegger’s signature is the culmination of more than four years of work by Kidde R&C, the bill’s sponsor, Senator Alan Lowenthal, and a coalition of supporters and nonprofit partners. Senator Lowenthal, along with the Long Beach Fire Department, gave away 100 Kidde CO alarms during a press event announcing the bill’s passage.

“We owe a huge thanks to the many nonprofit organizations and others who came on board to help get SB 183 passed,” said Tom Sri, Government Affairs Manager for Kidde R&C. “Without the dedication and commitment of firefighters, children’s health and safety advocates, doctors, CO survivors and the families of CO victims, our efforts would not have been successful.”

Similar legislation, first passed by the legislature in 2008, was vetoed by the governor on technical merits. Kidde R&C immediately went to work devising a strategy to get SB 183 passed and signed in the next session. The company reached out to numerous safety and health organizations to join the effort and held meetings with the governor’s staff and legislators to work through any opposition. Meanwhile the team implemented a public relations campaign to raise awareness and build support through letters to the editor and other tactics.

“This law will help to protect millions of families from a silent killer, and I’m very proud of the team’s perseverance to get it passed,” said Jim Ward, General Manager for Kidde R&C. “I’m confident that they will bring the same level of drive and commitment to the next phase as we begin to execute against the opportunity provided by this new law.”

Census data shows that 74 percent of California housing uses some form of fossil fuel-burning heat, such as gas, fuel oil, or kerosene, which can generate carbon monoxide. Between 2001 and 2006, 232 people in California died of unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning. The California Air Resources Board estimates that CO poisoning accounts for up to 700 avoidable emergency room visits and hospitalizations annually.

For more information, visit www.kidde.com.

Kidde

Kidde to Give Away Fire Safety Starter Packs on Facebook for National Home Safety Month

In recognition of Home Safety Month, Kidde will give away a fire and carbon monoxide (CO) safety starter pack to one of its Facebook page fans (www.facebook.com/Kidde) every Monday in June.

Each pack will include a Living Area Fire Extinguisher, Kitchen Fire Extinguisher, Escape Ladder, 10-Year Sealed Battery Smoke Alarm, Dual Sensor Smoke Alarm, a plug-in carbon monoxide alarm, and the Intelligent Alarm, which offers protection against fire and CO in one unit.

“Kidde’s Facebook fans are very interested in keeping their families safe. We tried to include products in this safety starter pack that will help provide a family with a fully comprehensive fire safety plan,” said Chris Rovenstine, director of marketing and sales for Kidde Residential and Commercial. “In addition, we hope this giveaway will prompt others to take the time to evaluate the safety of their home, and incorporate any additional components they may need.”

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) states that 1 out of 5 homes do not have working smoke alarms, primarily due to dead or missing batteries, and only 12 percent of Americans know to replace smoke alarms every 10 years. In addition, a survey by Kelton Research, on behalf of Kidde, found only 50 percent of residents have a carbon monoxide alarm, and nearly a quarter (24%) of those surveyed don’t own a fire extinguisher. The survey also shows that close to half of American families don’t have a fire escape plan, and of those who do, only 22 percent practice it regularly.

Creating a Home Safety Plan

Kidde recommends the following simple steps to create a home safety plan:

• Install a smoke alarm in every room including basements and finished attics, in each bedroom and hallways outside of sleeping areas, and at the top and bottom of stairways.
o Kidde’s 10-year Sealed Battery smoke alarm offers low-maintenance protection thanks to a sealed battery that will power the alarm for 10 years, eliminating the need to replace batteries. At the end of the alarm’s life, it will emit a chirp to indicate the unit needs to be replaced.
• Install a fire extinguisher within reach on every level of your home, close to exits, and in the kitchen and garage.
o The NFPA recommends installing at least a 2-A:10-B:C extinguisher, such as Kidde’s Living Area unit, for every 40 feet of your home.
• Install working carbon monoxide alarms on every floor and near sleeping areas. It’s the only safe way to detect this odorless, tasteless and invisible gas.
o The Intelligent Alarm provides protection against fire and CO in one unit, all while greatly reducing the chance of nuisance alarms—a top reason why batteries are often removed.
• Create and regularly practice a fire escape plan.
o An escape ladder can provide an emergency or alternative exit from a second floor room.

“Many families underestimate the safety of their homes,” said Rovenstine. “Kidde is pleased to utilize social media to raise awareness of the fire safety issue in America, and Home Safety Month provides the perfect opportunity to illustrate the resources we offer to help provide solutions to these concerns.”

Join www.facebook.com/Kidde for a chance to receive a home safety starter pack during Home Safety Month. For additional safety tips, visit www.Kidde.com