Annually, LE Toys franchisees gather at the end of June to order toys for the holidays. Along with announcing long-term charitable partnerships at the Convention, LE Toys also partners with local organizations in need of toys. The Convention location changes annually, and this year LE Toys was pleased to support the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center (Rancho Mirage, CA), along with Shelter from the Storm (Palm Desert, CA), and Olive Crest (Palm Desert, CA). Toy vendors dismantled the booths at the end of the Convention and gave more than $10,000 worth of toys to these charities.
“Since our founding, we have helped more than 20,000 children,” says John Thoresen, executive officer of the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center. “And the toys will bring great joy to the children we counsel.” The outpatient facility—located on the Eisenhower Medical Center Campus—is focused on identifying child abuse, working to prevent it, and helping children who have suffered sexual, physical, and emotional abuse.
“The Learning Express Toys family was delighted to partner with three important and worthy nonprofit organizations,” says Sharon DiMinico who founded LE Toys in 1987 in Massachusetts, location of its corporate headquarters today. “We especially thank our vendors for their generosity,” DiMinico says.