Source: stock.adobe.com

Following the tragic mass shooting that took place in Highland Park, Illinois on July 4, a family of local toy companies is pledging support.

Vernon Hills, Illinois-based Learning Resources, hand2mind, and Educational Insights have donated $10,000 to the Highland Park Community Foundation in support of its efforts to provide aid to those directly impacted by the tragedy. Additionally, the family of companies is donating a host of social-emotional learning (SEL) toys to families with kids who have been affected. The donation is being handled by HP Unites.

“We are still in shock over the events of July 4 which affected neighbors and friends in our community. Our team at Learning Resources, hand2mind and Educational Insights wanted to help,” says Rick Woldenberg, CEO. “Our deepest condolences and prayers go out to everyone impacted by this horrific act.”

hand2mind’s Express Your Feelings Sensory Bottles is just one of the SEL products being donated to kids in Highland Park | Source: hand2mind

Related: The Toy Book’s 2022 Specialty Toy Issue is Here!

Individuals or companies interested in supporting the efforts of the Highland Park Community Foundation can do so by contributing to the July 4th Highland Park Shooting Response Fund.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.

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