It was a record-setting year for the TODAY toy drive, which wrapped up on Friday having raised $41.75 million in donations to benefit five million children across the country.
The historic giving this year brings the 19-year total of the TODAY toy drive to $332 million in donations, and the proceeds will be distributed to more than 200 U.S.-based charities.
One of the final generous gifts came from first-time donor Sun Products, which made a donation of $373,000 worth of Snuggle fabric softener, detergent and 1,000 Snuggle bears for children, announced Ed Vlacich, Sun Products executive vice president of national brands. The donations from Sun Products will go to three charities.
Epiphany School in Dorchester, Mass., a tuition-free middle school for economically-disadvantaged families from Boston neighborhoods, will receive donations, along with the Dominican Women’s Development Center in New York City, which helps organize low-income women and provide them with culturally competent social services. The third charity receiving the donation from Sun Products is Bailey house in New York City, which provides housing and services for those affected and infected by HIV/AIDs.
Read more:
Santa, his elves give out hundreds of TODAY toys in Texas
Video: James Patterson donates 100,000 books to toy drive
Video: TODAY toy drive receives the gift of music
Video: Arbonne donates $175,000 to TODAY toy drive
Read about other nonprofit organizations served by TODAY's Toy Drive.
