Toy Industry Foundation's Toys Across America Brings Over 500,000 New Toys to Kids in Need in All 50 States Today

NEW YORK, Aug. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, for the very first time, the Toy Industry Foundation (TIF) and its Toy Bank will distribute more than 500,000 new toys and games to children in need in all 50 states on a single day.  Dubbed "Toys Across America," this special day of toys, play and fun celebrates the 10^th anniversary of The Toy Bank, a program that collects new toys from donor toy companies and delivers them through a network of charities serving kids and families.

An interactive map on the Toys Across America website (www.toyindustryfoundation.org/taa) – along with photos, videos and "live" updates on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube – will show the progress as toys are distributed in each state and Washington, DC.  The webpage includes details about the charities served (name, city and state), participating toy companies, and special festive events in Braddock (PA), Dallas, Los Angeles and New York City.

"The Toy Industry Foundation's year-round mission is to ensure that every child has the opportunity to play," said Jean Butler, executive director of TIF. "What's so incredible – so inspiring – about Toys Across America is that, on a single day, we are able to bring the empowering gift of play to more than half a million underserved children.  This may be the first time that many of these kids have ever had a new toy, game or stuffed animals to call their very own."

In the last decade, The Toy Bank has delivered more than 10 million toys valued at over $85 million to children who are sick, impoverished, in the foster care system, living through natural disasters, enduring life on a military base, or otherwise in need.

The Toy Bank is the signature program of TIF, the philanthropic organization representing the entire North American toy industry. Throughout the year, toy companies and retailers generously donate new toys to the program.  The Toy Bank's logistics partner, Kids in Distressed Situations, then distributes the toys through its nationwide network of child-focused charities. 

"K.I.D.S. is proud of the work we've done with the Toy Industry Foundation," said K.I.D.S. President Denise Williams. "Our partnership with TIF has allowed us to bring the joy of play to so many kids. We look forward to continuing our success in the years to come."

Three dozen toy donor companies joined with generous sponsors Funrise and Bandai America Incorporated to make Toys Across America possible. Bandai is the official 2013 sponsor of The Toy Bank.

To learn more about the Toy Industry Foundation, its Toy Bank program, and opportunities to help bring the joy of play to kids in need, please visit TIF's website (toyindustryfoundation.org). Charities serving children and families can also visit the TIF site to learn about how they can apply to become a Toy Bank recipient. 

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 (TIF) 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 philanthropic arm of the North American toy industry, TIF fulfills its mission through core programs such as The Toy Bank™ and grants to organizations whose missions are in line with that of TIF. Now celebrating its 10^th anniversary year, 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 in partnership with Kids in Distressed Situations.

ABOUT KIDS IN DISTRESSED SITUATIONS (www.kidsdonations.org)
Kids in Distressed Situations (K.I.D.S.) was founded in 1985 with the mission of providing new kid-essentials to children and teens who have been impacted by poverty and tragedy. Since its inception, K.I.D.S has provided more than $1 billion to help nearly 70 million children. With a network of more than 1,000 local partner agencies located in all 50 states and an overhead of less than 3%, K.I.D.S. is able to effectively and efficiently deliver products directly to children when and where they need it.

SOURCE Toy Industry Foundation