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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Adrienne Appell / Angela Richmond
Toy Industry Association / Boys & Girls Clubs of America
646.520.4863 / 404.487.581
aappell@toyassociation.org / arichmond@bgca.org
Toy Industry Foundation Crosses Pacific, Brings Play to U.S.
Military Families in Japan
TIF holds international event with partner Boys & Girls Clubs
of America Military Services
 Kadena, JAPAN | November 6, 2012
– Nearly 1,000 boys and girls stationed with their parents on
Kadena U.S. Air Force Base in Japan were treated to an extraordinary day
of gifts and play on November 1st by the Toy Industry
Foundation (TIF) and partner Boys & Girls Clubs of America
(BGCA) Military Services. Joined by Marine families stationed in nearby
in Okinawa, the children experienced a fun-filled toy giveaway event,
providing relief and a reminder of home to kids living with their
parents so far away from what is familiar.
Military life is difficult for families, especially those stationed
internationally. Thanks to the special toy giveaway event, children of
U.S. Airmen and Marines have many days of play ahead of them, providing
a respite from stress and homesickness.
“We are relieved that so many troops are returning home safely,” said
Jean Butler, Executive Director, Toy Industry Foundation. “But we
haven’t forgotten that there are thousands of service members stationed
overseas with their families. This is our way of saying thank you,
showing appreciation for their sacrifices, and bringing smiles and
laughter into the lives of children who need it now more than ever.”
“Other organizations provide food, shelter, and clothing for military
families, but the Toy Industry Foundation realized that play is an
important factor and can be a distraction from the daily things military
kids deal with,” said Dion Bass, Kadena Teen Center Chief, 18th Force
Support Squadron.
“The toys provided by the Toy Industry Foundation are a great
opportunity to show military youth how much we appreciate the sacrifices
made by our military personnel,” said Terrill Wicks, BGCA Vice President
of Military Services.
The TIF/BGCA Play
Comforts program is the first-ever national toy distribution
program to serve every branch of the military, and is now in its third
year of operation. Since the partnership launched, TIF has provided
over 200,000 toys to BGCA for children on U.S. military bases.
Through the Play Comforts program, toys donated to TIF’s Toy Bank by generous toy makers
and merchants are delivered to families on dozens of U.S. military
installations at home and abroad all year long.
Gifts distributed this event were generously donated by
AbraKIDabra, American Plastic Toys, Buffalo Games, Cartamundi, Cree8
Group, Cryptozoic, Daydream Toy, Dunecraft, Every Baby Company, GANZ,
Green Toys, GUND, Hasbro, LEGO, Mattel, Maxim, Peaceable Kingdom, Radio
Flyer, Shrinky Dinks, Small World Toys, Smart Toys & Games,
Squishable.com, and Wyla.
About Toy Industry Foundation (www.toyindustryfoundation.org)
While other organizations provide food, shelter and support services
to children and their families, the Toy Industry Foundation sees to it
that these children have toys and opportunities to play in an attempt to
restore both fun and a sense of normalcy to their lives. The Foundation
currently fulfills its mission through core programs including The Toy
Bank™ and grants to organizations whose missions are in line with that
of the Toy Industry Foundation.
The first industry-wide program of its kind, The Toy Bank receives
donations of newly manufactured toys from members of the toy industry
and distributes them through local charities to underserved, at-risk and
homeless children throughout the United States and around the world.
The Toy Bank is administered by Kids in Distressed Situations.
About Boys & Girls Club of America (BGCA) (www.bgca.org)
For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America
has helped kids "Be Great," providing hope and opportunity for
those who need it most. Today, more than 3,900 Clubs serve some 4.1
million young people through Club membership and community outreach.
Known as The Positive Place for Kids, Boys & Girls Clubs can be
found throughout the country and on U.S. military bases worldwide,
providing young people 6-18 years old with guidance-oriented character
development programs conducted by trained, professional staff. Clubs
positively impact lives and help young people reach their full potential
as productive, caring citizens. In a recent Harris Survey of Club
alumni, 57 percent said the Club saved their lives. National
headquarters are located in Atlanta.
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