Pirate Toy Fund

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Now in its 11th year, Pirate Toy Fund and News 10NBC team up again 'Continue reading About Us The mission of Pirate Toy Fund is to provide a toy for every child in need in our community, year ' round. Located in Rochester, NY and founded by local children's entertainer, Gary the Happy Pirate, Pirate Toy Fund has collected and distributed over 200, 000 toys since 2000 and continues to actively pursue new avenues to expand our mission. Gary was inspired to found this endeavor by a special friend, Christie Simonetti. Pirate Toy Fund is unique both locally and nationally. Only a handful of toy funds operate on a year-round basis, and those that do are located in hospitals. These hospital-based toy funds raise money not just for toys ; the money also goes to purchase equipment and supplies for those hospitals. As far as we have been able to determine, therefore, Pirate Toy Fund is the only organization in the country whose sole mission is to collect and provide new toys to children in need all year ' round. We donate toys primarily to organizations, who in turn give the toys to children they've identified as being in need. Toy Fund serves children with many issues but primarily dedicates itself to social service/human service programs that address medical, domestic violence, and financial need situations ( especially in the inner city ). Sick children, children with special needs, children who are victims of domestic violence, and other children in need receive toys from us. In 2009 we established TIC-TOC ( Toys Inspiring Children To Overcome Challenges ), a Pirate Toy Fund project that provides specialized adaptive toys to children with disabilities. Because these toys are expensive and difficult to find in local stores, they are rarely donated to us ; we therefore must raise the money to purchase them ourselves. Every toy is specially selected by each child's teacher or counselor, to help the child improve his or her social, physical, and/or emotional abilities. Our challenges are enormous ' a crew of volunteers assist Gary ( the Happy Pirate ) and his two part-time assistants to fill toy orders and keep the program going. The need is tremendous. Every year we give out more toys than the previous year ' in 2009 we gave out over 24, 000 toys to children locally. A toy is not a cure, it's a tiny oasis in the middle of a ferocious storm of fear, illness, and/or tragedy that a young child should not have to deal with. Every day we see the results of our hard work, when a smile replaces the tears on a little one's face. And when those children come back to us as adults to thank us and tell us how much that gift meant to them, sometimes by giving a donation and/or becoming a volunteer, we feel guilty at how much pleasure that brings us. This is truly an organization that gives to us, its staff and volunteers, much more than we give to it.