Bring Happiness to Kids in Need: Donate Your Toys & Games at the Close of Toy Fair

January 24, 2017 | Every child deserves a chance to hug their favorite stuffed animal or show off their game-playing skills, but not every family can afford to buy toys and games for their kids. That’s why the Toy Industry Foundation (TIF) will once again host its largest toy drive of the year at the North American International Toy Fair.

Show exhibitors that would like to participate in this significant collection are encouraged to donate their playthings when the marketplace closes at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, February 21.

As the official charity of Toy Fair, the Foundation and its team of Toy Bank volunteers will once again be collecting puzzles, plush, arts and crafts, dolls, action figures, and every other type of toy and game from exhibitor booths at the end of the show. The donated toys will be sent to children’s charities in the New York tri-state area serving kids who are impoverished, neglected, sick, or otherwise in need.

At Toy Fair ’16, the Foundation collected more than 50,000 donated toys and games, valued at more than half a million dollars. This year the Toy Bank is hoping to collect 60,000 skill-building playthings for even more kids in need.

“There are so many children living in less-than-ideal situations. Our hearts go out to each and every one of them. We want to provide them with the magic of play, but we need the exhibitors’ help to make this year’s collection more successful than ever before,” said Elizabeth Max, TIF’s program manager.

Toy Bank volunteers wearing bright orange t-shirts will come around to exhibitor booths to collect the donated toys and games. Exhibitors are encouraged to submit their product donation forms early, or they can drop them off at TIF’s booth (#5701) anytime during Toy Fair.

Since the Toy Bank’s inception in 2003, nearly $200 million worth of toys and games have been distributed to more than 23 million children in need. Last year was another banner year for the Toy Bank, which brought the magic of play to an impressive four million children across the world thanks to the generosity of so many within the toy industry.

Companies interested in learning more about TIF, or the Toy Bank collection at Toy Fair, are encouraged to contact Elizabeth Max.