Toy Industry Foundation Brings Holiday Cheer to Families on Hawaii Military Bases

OAHU, Hawaii, Dec. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 3,000 boys and girls living with their parents on Hawaii's Schofield Barracks and Fort Shafter U.S. Army bases were treated to two exciting days of toy giveaways on December 4^th and 6^th, respectively. The events were hosted by the Toy Industry Foundation in partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) Military Services, who brought the spirit of the season to military families complete with gifts, holiday carolers, and the lighting of two of the largest Christmas trees in the country.  

"The stress and uncertainty of military life can be overwhelming for these families," said Jean Butler, TIF Executive Director.  "Toys and play allow them to escape their worries and have fun.  This is the perfect time of year for us to say 'thank you' to these families and to help them enjoy the holidays together."

"My son is excited to see the tree, get a toy and visit with Santa," said Nancy Garza, wife of Army Sergeant Rafael Garza, who is currently deployed in Afghanistan.  "We were not in the Christmas spirit before tonight, but after getting the toy, it put us in the spirit of what Christmas is all about – giving!"

"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.

Through the Play Comforts program, toys donated to TIF's Toy Bank by generous toymakers and merchants are delivered to families on dozens of U.S. military installations at home and abroad all year long.  In 2012 alone, TIF worked with BGCA to provide toys for nearly 100,000 children of servicemembers stationed in the U.S. and internationally.

Gifts distributed at this event were generously donated to the Toy Industry Foundation by American Plastic Toys, Cartamundi, Cryptazoic, Daydream Toy, Disguise, Dunecraft, Fremont Die, GANZ, GUND, Hasbro, Kidz Toyz, LEGO, Look Out Word, Mattel, Morphology, Playmates Toys, Radio Flyer, RBI Toys, Small World Toys, The Happy Artist, and TMI Toymarketing International.

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.

SOURCE Toy Industry Foundation