HYPE Donates 1,700 Toys to Hartford Boys & Girls Clubs as Part of Annual Event
(PRWEB) December 16, 2013 -- HYPE (Hartford Young Professionals and Entrepreneurs) last Wednesday hosted its annual Tons of Toys event at the Gershon Fox Ballroom in Downtown Hartford, where it collected a total of 1,715 new, unwrapped toys which were delivered to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Hartford on Thursday morning.
HYPE, an initiative of the MetroHartford Alliance, is a young professionals organization which places a strong emphasis on community involvement among its more than 4,000 members throughout the Greater Hartford Region.
"Tons of Toys is a celebration of giving back," explains Julie Daly Meehan, executive director of HYPE. “The young professionals I work with through HYPE are incredibly enthusiastic about supporting Hartford. The amazing response to this event demonstrates our members’ dedication to this Region.”
Tons of Toys combines a festive seasonal gathering with charitable giving. Before the event each year, sponsorship support enables HYPE to execute a shopping spree where the base for the toy donation is laid. The 2013 purchase totaled 375 toys, further supported by a donation from LEGO, a sponsor for the event. Combined with the collection of over 850 toys at Wednesday evening's event, HYPE outpaced last year's donation by 32 percent.
Each year, HYPE identifies a local nonprofit to receive the collection from Tons of Toys. The Boys and Girls Clubs of Hartford, with nine locations across the city, was this year’s beneficiary. Directors from the local Clubs within Hartford gathered at the Asylum Hill location Thursday morning, and will distribute toys to the children at their locations during holiday parties this season.
“The holidays are made brighter for our Club kids by the generosity of the HYPE membership,” says Kandyce Aust, Vice President of Development for The Boys and Girls Clubs of Hartford. “HYPE has become an integral part of our BGCH community. We are so appreciative of all they do!”
Presenting sponsor for Tons of Toys 2013 is Stanley Black & Decker. Sugar Plum Sponsor is LEGO. Mistletoe Sponsors are Ernst & Young; Pratt & Whitney; and Webster Bank. Candy Cane Sponsors are Cantor Colburn LLP; May, Bonee & Walsh; Prudential; A Little Imagination Cakes; the iQuilt Partnership; and Travelers.
Learn more about HYPE at http://www.HYPEHartford.com or follow them on Facebook (HYPEHartford) and Twitter (@HYPEHartford).
Danielle Cyr, Co-Communications, Inc., +1 860.676.4400, [email protected]
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