Toy Industry Foundation Announces Record-Breaking Year
January 14, 2013 | The Toy Industry Foundation (TIF)
announced today that The Toy Bank collected more than $16 million worth
of toys and games in 2012 – up 146% from 2011. The milestone was reached
thanks to the help of generous toy manufacturers, retailers,
distributors, and others within the toy industry, who donated more than
1.8 million brand new playthings to benefit children in need.
In total, The Toy Bank received toys from 372 unique donors (+20%),
including 119 donors who contributed to The Toy Bank for the first
time.
Other TIF accomplishments in 2012 include:
- Toys and games were distributed to 145 charities within The Toy
Bank network, serving children who are impoverished, ill, living in
foster care or with a parent in the military, and affected by natural
disasters.
- TIF worked with more than 20 New York- and New Jersey-based
charities to provide toys for approximately 40,000 young victims of
Hurricane Sandy – the biggest natural disaster to hit the U.S. in
2012.
- The Foundation celebrated its third year of national partnership
with Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) Military Services. In
2012, families at 35 U.S. military bases received Toy Bank toys.
- The annual Holiday Toy Drive collected just over $6 million in
toys, making the holidays brighter for nearly one million children in
need.
- $250,000 in TIF grant funding was utilized by worthy children’s
charities, including $40,000 in Play Connects grants by TIA
member-nominated organizations.
“Thanks to the support of the toy industry, 2012 was a huge success
for the Foundation,” said Jean Butler, TIF executive director. “We have
now collected and distributed nearly $80 million in toys and games since
The Toy Bank was founded a decade ago. We look forward to building on
this momentum in 2013 and reaching even more children in need around the
globe through The Toy Bank as well as our grant initiatives.”
To kick off 2013 and commemorate The Toy Bank's 10th anniversary, TIF
contributed $105,000 to BGCA to ease the hardships faced by military
parents and their children. TIF also donated $200,000 at the start of
2013 to new national partner National Court Appointed Special Advocates
(CASA) for Children, to support the capacity and knowledge base of
CASA’s volunteers, who serve as one-on-one mentors for children in the
foster care system.
To donate toys or funds in support of the Toy Industry Foundation,
visit ToyIndustryFoundation.org.
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