Thanks to Safari Ltd., Infinitoy, Glide Bikes, Terry Myers of Kaleidoscope Toys in Round Rock Texas, Children at Heart Ministries and TDmonthly Magazine, some children who have never experienced a birthday or Christmas will have special gifts this year.
Terry won the 2013TDmonthly Charitable Giveaway contest, and received more than 100 toys from the donors to give to her local children's charities.
Terry chose two charities — Children at Heart Ministries and Emerson Academy — each of which received ZOOB H2H Fastback sets from Infinitoy (for ages 6 &up, MSRP $29.99), which features two pullback motors, so kids can build any two cars from ZOOB pieces and race them side-by-side; 15 ZOOB Jr. Scooters, which has larger, softer ZOOB pieces, for younger builders, (ages 3-6) so they can build any number of wheeled creations, such as a skateboarder, scooter, or robot, etc.; Safari Ltd. Incredible Creatures® and other lifelike sets (includes combinations of Incredible Creatures® Queen Triggerfish, Incredible Creatures® Galapagos Marine Iguana, Incredible Creatures® White–lipped Snail, Incredible Creatures® Cobra Hatchling, Wild Safari Flippers, Fins & Fun Set, and Safari People John with Baxter Zookeeper on Platform); and red or blue 12" Mini Gliders from Glide Bikes.
Terry also held an in-store giveaway contest for her customers, so they could become familiar with the manufacturer’s high-quality goods.
The winning customer, Michelle Denny, was thrilled to win a set of toys from Safari Ltd. and Infinitoy because her children were "the perfect age" for the products and she "never wins anything," she told Terry.
Kids Benefit
Amanda Keeter, who accepted the toys on behalf of Children at Heart Ministries — which provides counseling, support and temporary housing for needy families, single mothers and orphans — said that the toys will help children who never had a birthday party or Christmas present.
Stacey Bell, Business Director of Emerson — an early education program for all abilities — was particularly excited about the Zoob building toys.
"These are excellent tools for children working on motor skills, and they complement what our special needs students work on with their therapists," said Stacey. "These are really just great."
Building Community
"As a small business, I was trilled to participate in this toy give-a-way," summed up Terry. "I'm very much a part of my community and so being able to help out two of my favorite charities was awesome. One of the Glide Bikes will be used by the special needs children at Emerson Academy out on their playground. The Second Glide Bike will be under the tree this Christmas for a very special child at the Children at Heart Ministry.
"The Zoob Construction Kits are great for cognitive skill building, so both organizations plan to open them up and get building and creating. The Safari Ltd figures will be used mainly for therapy role playing.
"All toys were so appreciated. the directors had the biggest smiles as you can see in the photos on our Facebook page. Thanks to TDmonthly, Glide Bike, Safari Ltd. and Infinitoys or being a part of this."
Here are the toys the kids received from Terry and the donors:
12" Mini Glider by GLIDE BIKES
12" Mini Glider for children ages 2-5. Made from lightweight aluminum alloy, the Mini Glider features our patented slow speed geometry along with removable foot pegs, child sized handbrake, quick release seat post clamp, kickstand, and a lifetime warranty! Available in 5 metallic colors, weighs only 8 pounds.
The ZOOB JR. Scooter features 18 ZOOB JR. pieces, 4 wheels, and instructions for 17 creations, such as a scooter, a mini go-cart, a skateboarder, and a spinning robot (but kids can make up lots more). The instructions require no reading, and are printed on sturdy cards. ZOOB JR. is our fastest-growing product category.
Based on the success of last year's ZOOBMobile Fastback (which included one pull-back friction motor), the ZOOBMobile Fastback H2H features two pull-back friction motors so kids can create their own ZOOBMobiles and race them against each other. But kids can also put the motors together to make a super vehicle that goes even faster, for up to 40 feet. The Fastback H2H features 45 ZOOB pieces and 8 high-quality tires that are notched so they work like gears. Because ZOOB® pieces snap together so many different ways, kids can use their imaginations to create their own vehicles, and add on pieces from their ZOOB collections to make even more. The Fastback H2H is fully compatible with all other Infinitoy ZOOB pieces.
Safari People John & Baxter Zookeeper by SAFARI LTD.®
Our keepers are more than just "cleaner-uppers". They show nurturing in action. Each replica is finely hand painted and accurate down to the last detail. Educational information in five languages is included with each replica. All our products are phthalate-free and thoroughly safety tested to safeguard your child's health. Safari Ltd.® takes pride in providing breathtaking, innovative and value priced figures for now over three generations. Featured is our Safari Ltd.® People John & Baxter Zookeeper Size: 1.5" L x 3.75" H (4 x 9.5 cm). Suggested age 3+. All of our products are lead free and thoroughly safety tested.
Incredible Creatures® White–lipped Snail by SAFARI LTD.®
At almost five inches long, not many snails can measure up to our Incredible Creatures® White-lipped Snail. The wild animals in our Incredible Creatures® collection are the largest models of any series, making them perfect for children’s small hands. For added value to both toy lovers and collectors, most of the replicas in this collection are made to scale, and some are even life sized. Like all Safari Ltd® figures, these toys are professionally sculpted and hand painted for stunning, accurate detail. The scale of this White-lipped Snail is 1:0.5
Incredible Creatures Queen Triggerfish by SAFARI LTD.®
Part of the stunning Incredible Creatures series, this Queen Triggerfish is a stunning example of nature in all its wonder. The product is soft to the touch for added realism and it floats. Finely hand painted, phthalate free and safety tested. Each comes with an educational hang tag in 5 languages. Size: 6" L x 4" H. View our entire collection at safariltd.com.
Incredible Creatures Galapagos Marine Iguana by SAFARI LTD.®
Safari Ltd introduces a new edition to the stunning Incredible Creatures Series. Our hand painted, phthalate free Galapagos Marine Iguana shows intricate detail. These iguanas feed on the seaweed from the ocean, and expel the salt from the water by sneezing it out through their noses. Our Incredible Creatures series are soft to the touch for added realism and include 5 language educational information. Replica size: 9.1” L x 5” H. View our entire collection at www.safariltd.com
Incredible Creatures® Cobra Hatchling by SAFARI LTD.®
Extra large, soft, playful, true-to-life vinyl replicas of some of the most amazing creatures in the world. Excellent learning tool to introduce young children to our delicate and often endangered inhabitants of our planet. A fun way to spark the innate curiosity of a child. Each replica is finely hand painted and accurate down to the last detail. Educational information in five languages is included with each replica. All our products are phthalate-free and thoroughly safety tested to safeguard children's health.
Wild Safari® Sealife Flippers, Fins & Fun Set by SAFARI LTD.®
Detailed replicas of tropical marine life and a realistic coral reef surround this young diver with a wild underwater adventure. Exquisite sculpting and attention to detail make this the ideal gift for any child. The packaging features educational information in 5 languages on the back. All Safari Ltd.® products are phthalate and lead free and safety tested to safeguard children’s health. We take pride in the quality, innovation and design that have characterized our products for over 3 generations. Flippers, Fins & Fun Gift Set Includes: Dolphin, Sea Turtle, Queen Triggerfish, Grouper, Coral Reef, and Freddie the Free Diver. Box Size: 11” W x 4.75” H x 4” D (28 x 12 x 10 cm)
Writer's Bio: ALISON MAREK is an award-winning writer, director and cartoonist whose work has been published by Fairchild Publications and DC Comics (Piranha Press), broadcast on Showtime and other cable networks, and viewed worldwide in film festivals. See her short films and print work on www.alisonmarek.com. Watch her nefarious villains in the web series www.MuggsMovers.com. Get inspired by her cartoons "Daily ARFFirmations to Unleash Your Inner Fido" at www.ARFFirmations.com. Phew! And then ... Read more articles by this author
two cars from ZOOB pieces and race them side-by-side; 15 ZOOB Jr. Scooters, which has larger, softer ZOOB pieces, for younger builders, (ages 3-6) so they can build any number of wheeled creations, such as a skateboarder, scooter, or robot, etc.; Safari Ltd. Incredible Creatures® and other lifelike sets (includes combinations of Incredible Creatures® Queen Triggerfish, Incredible Creatures® Galapagos Marine Iguana, Incredible Creatures® White–lipped Snail, Incredible Creatures® Cobra Hatchling, Wild Safari Flippers, Fins & Fun Set, and Safari People John with Baxter Zookeeper on Platform); and red or blue 12" Mini Gliders from Glide Bikes.
Writer's Bio: ALISON MAREK is an award-winning writer, director and cartoonist whose work has been published by Fairchild Publications and DC Comics (Piranha Press), broadcast on Showtime and other cable networks, and viewed worldwide in film festivals. See her short films and print work on www.alisonmarek.com. Watch her nefarious villains in the web series www.MuggsMovers.com. Get inspired by her cartoons "Daily ARFFirmations to Unleash Your Inner Fido" at www.ARFFirmations.com. Phew! And then ... Read more articles by this author
