July 24, 2004

By: Vadim Moore
Website: http://www.1st-in-toys.com

The First Annual Toy Bank Collection at TOY FAIR 2004

Thirty-five volunteers decked out in bright orange 'Toy Bank' t-shirts descended upon the Javits Center to collect toys at the close of TOY FAIR 2004. The collection – more than 6,000 toys valued at approximately $135,000 – will brighten the lives of thousands of children in the Tri-State area, thanks to the generosity of 165 TOY FAIR exhibitors in the Javits Center and Showrooms.

Introduced in 2003, The Toy Bank is a product philanthropy program managed by the Toy Industry Foundation and Gifts In Kind International.

Never has there been a program that appropriately credited the toy industry for its massive contribution of toys for children in need, until now! said Patrick Feely, President & CEO of Radica Games Ltd. and Chairman of Toy Industry Foundation.

The Toy Bank is the perfect vehicle to make toys available to our most vulnerable audience, the millions of disadvantaged and at-risk children living among us.

We are privileged to partner with the Toy Industry Foundation to ensure that children in need have the opportunity to experience ‘play’ – a critical step toward the healthy development of our youth, said Susan Corrigan, President and CEO, Gifts In Kind International. From birth to 18 years of age, The Toy Bank provides a wide array of new products in North America, many of whom have never owned a single doll, game, puzzle or book.

TOY FAIR 2004 donations are currently being distributed throughout the Tri-State area via the United Way of New York City, a Gifts In Kind global affiliate.

Every child deserves the right to imagine, dream, invent and have fun through toys and play. Through The Toy Bank, charities serving underprivileged and at-risk children receive new toys, and manufacturers, retailers and distributors of toys reach needy children around the world.

Also see: Kids Toys

About The Author:

Vadim Moore is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.1st-in-toys.com.  Find fun kids educational toys and children’s wooden toys you enjoyed as a child.