TIF Lights Up the Lives of Chicago-Area Foster Children with 3,700 Toys

The Toy Industry Foundation (TIF) and the National Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Association, as well as CASA of Cook County, hosted nearly 500 Chicago-area foster children at Play Your Part–Chicago on July 16 at U.S. Cellular Field. TIF provided more than 3,700 playthings valued at more than $50,000 to foster children served by CASA of Cook County. Kids ages 3 through teens will be gifted with additional new toys to help celebrate birthdays, holidays, and special occasions.

Twenty-two manufacturers, retailers, and distributors donated playthings to TIF’s Toy Bank. Event sponsors included Beverly Hills Teddy Bear, E Revolution Ventures, Fibre-Craft, LLC, Intertek Hardlines and Product Intelligence, Learning Resources, Mayfair Games, Patch Products, T.S. Shure, and TOMY.

About the author

Tatyana Bellamy-Walker

Tatyana Bellamy Walker is an editorial intern for Adventure Publishing Group and assists the editors with the leading trade book magazines, The Toy Book and The Licensing Book and online at toybook.com and licensingbook.com. As a student journalist for the New York Amsterdam News and Teen Voices with Women's eNews, she enjoys giving a voice to minorities in mainstream media. Next year, she will be the assistant news editor of her college newspaper The Oswegonian. You can follow her on Twitter at @bell_tati.