Power of Play: Amazon Supports The Toy Foundation’s Toy Bank Collection to Aid Dallas Children in Need
All Preview & Holiday Market Exhibitors are invited to donate to The Toy Foundation’s Toy Bank and gift toys to local children in time for the holidays
September 13, 2022 | Every child deserves to have the opportunity to experience comfort, joy, and the extraordinary physical, emotional, and educational benefits of play. The Toy Foundation (TTF) and Amazon, sponsor of TTF’s Toy Bank collection at The Toy Association’s 2023 Preview & 2022 Holiday Market, invite all exhibiting companies to donate their toys and games at the show’s close to be delivered to at-risk children in the Dallas area.
To participate, a product donation form is now available to complete and submit in advance of the toy show. Donations are also accepted year-round.
The donations collected will be delivered to four local organizations, including Rainbow Days, whose mission is to help children rise above their adversity and have a promising future. Anne Carrihill, general manager and category leader of toys and games at Amazon, and Taylor Mason, marketing specialist at Amazon, recently spoke with Kelly Wierzbinski (aka Ms. Kit Kat), director of Family Connection at Rainbow Days, to discuss the role of play in the organization’s day-to-day work and how the donations received from this initiative this September will be used.
Family Connection, one of Rainbow Days’ core programs, provides supportive services for homeless children throughout the Dallas area living in emergency, transitional, or domestic violence shelters. Play is an important part of the curriculum where a toy can give a child a sense of ownership when they have very little, recognize themselves in a toy to feel less alone, and learn something new to help shape a future career path.
“At a shelter, it’s easy for a child to lose hope and we use play to help teach them that every person has a purpose in this world,” said Wierzbinski. “These children can learn science, math, or a potential career path by playing with toys they can manipulate and experiment with and it shows them that their dreams can come true.”
A portion of the toys and games donated to The Toy Bank at the Preview & Holiday Market will be offered to families in need during Rainbow Days’ annual “Saturday with Santa” event. About 500 families from 30 local shelters can choose from a variety of donated toys suitable for children of all ages and developmental levels, have the toy wrapped, and ready to give to their child for the holiday they celebrate.
“Toys are such a great part of the magical season,” said Wierzbinski. “It lets the children know they are not forgotten, no matter where they are in this world, no matter what they are going through, that someone cares about them and their community cares about them.”
TTF and Amazon are welcoming product donations from all Preview & Holiday Market exhibitors this September, and from toy companies all year long, to help give every child the opportunity to experience the extraordinary benefits of play. Show exhibitors can submit a product donation form online. Donation inquiries can be submitted all year round here.
For more information about The Toy Association’s Preview & Holiday Market, visit ToyAssociation.org/PreviewMarket.
To learn about The Toy Foundation’s work to provide the power of play to children in need, visit ToyFoundation.org.