Toy Industry Volunteers Fill 5,000 Duffel Bags with Toys & More for Children Living in Foster Care

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., May 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Duffel bags teeming with brand new toys, clothing, blankets and more will reach the hands of 5,000 foster children across the country who lack basic necessities, thanks to the hard work of nearly 200 toy industry volunteers and special guests who rolled up their sleeves at the Fourth Annual Do Good Stuff-a-thon on Friday, May 11th in Westlake Village, California.

Hosted by the Toy Industry Foundation (TIF) and partner the My Stuff Bags Foundation in honor of May as National Foster Care Month, volunteers from across the toy industry and California legislators worked together at the My Stuff Bags headquarters to assemble the duffels, which will be distributed to more than 35 agencies from coast to coast that support abused and neglected children.

"Having to flee suddenly from your home and leave everything you own behind would be traumatizing for anyone; just imagine the experience for a child," said Jean Butler, TIF executive director. "We are grateful to our toy contributors for providing the 'tools of play' to help these children cope, as well as to our volunteers who pulled together to make this event such a success!"

Toy companies, including Cloud B, Funrise Toy Corporation, JAKKS Pacific, Inc., LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc., and the organization Women in Toys (WIT), helped make the event possible through sponsorship contributions, toy donations and their dedicated volunteer teams. CA State Senator Tony Strickland and State Assembly member Fiona Ma also worked the assembly line to ensure that all of the duffels included the fun, comforting and necessary items that all children – regardless of their circumstances – are entitled to.

"Razor is proud to once again support the Toy Industry Foundation's Do Good Stuff-a-Thon. As a toy company, we are in the business of making kids smile, and we think this event will help bring loads of smiles to foster children across the country," said Carlton Calvin, Founder and President, Razor USA LLC.

"My Stuff bags give foster children tangible proof that people care about them at a tough time in their lives," said Janeen Holmes, president and CEO of MSBF. "The Do Good Stuff-a-thon is an incredible demonstration that TIF and toy industry volunteers are committed to helping us comfort abused and neglected children who enter shelters with nothing of their own."

Over the last four years, the Toy Industry Foundation has provided more than 350,000 brand new toys and over half a million dollars in grant funding to the My Stuff Bags Foundation. Toys are donated via the Foundation's Toy Bank program, which is generously stocked by toy company contributions throughout the year.

For more information about the Do Good Stuff-a-Thon, or to get involved online by participating in the Virtual Do Good Stuff-a-thon, visit www.toyindustryfoundation.org. Music and entertainment at the event was generously provided by Time of Your Life entertainment. 

ABOUT TOY INDUSTRY FOUNDATION                                                                             

www.toyindustryfoundation.org

The Toy Industry Foundation (TIF) brings joy, comfort and learning to children in need through play by donating toys and grant funding to worthy children's charities. As the toy industry's own foundation, TIF is generously supported by toy companies and individuals in the toy community who donate new toys to The Toy Bank – TIF's signature program. Toys are distributed to national partners serving military families and foster children, as well as to local charities serving at-risk and disadvantaged children throughout the United States and around the world. In many cases, donations to The Toy Bank can be collected at no cost to the donor. For more information on how to get involved, visit toyindustryfoundation.org.

ABOUT MY STUFF BAGS FOUNDATION                                                                                              

www.mystuffbags.org

My Stuff Bags was launched in 1998 to address some of the immediate physical and emotional needs of children who must be rescued from abuse, neglect and abandonment. Traumatized by the events leading to their rescue, these children often enter shelters and foster care with no belongings. Each individual My Stuff duffel bag is filled by volunteers with new donated items, giving children comfort and hope and letting them know that lots of people care about them.

SOURCE Toy Industry Foundation