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