Toy Drive Donation
Thank you for considering making an online monetary donation in support of the Marisa Tufaro Classic toy drive, which will benefit pediatric patients at Hackensack Meridian JFK University Medical Center and children in need who Hands of Hope for the Community serves this holiday season and beyond.
A season-opening bowling tournament involving 20 boys and girls high school teams, the Marisa Tufaro Classic will be held at Majestic Lanes in Woodbridge on Saturday, December 2 at 9 a.m.
Proceeds from the event, at which bowlers, their coaches and spectators are invited to donate new and unwrapped toys, will benefit The Marisa Tufaro Foundation, which assists pediatric patients and other children in need throughout the greater Middlesex County area.
A complete list of recommended toys for donation can be found below.
Toys donated to Hackensack Meridian JFK University Medical Center in Edison will meet the needs of pediatric inpatients and visitors to the hospital’s Pediatric Emergency Department, who can benefit at any time from a diversion to help cope with the anxiety and pain that can accompany treatments, medical procedures, and extended admissions.
Parents of hospitalized children, some of whom are overwhelmed with medical bills and other related costs, may not be able to afford presents or are so consumed with caring for their ill child that shopping, even online, is not a possibility or a priority.
Toys donated to Hands of Hope for the Community will be distributed to Middlesex County children in need during an event next month at Saint James Episcopal Church in Edison. Until the pandemic struck, the event was an annual holiday tradition of the nonprofit, which is elated to revive its toy giveaway through the generosity of others.
Woodbridge head coach Amanda Small founded the wildly successful bowling tournament with support from her high school and school district. The Marisa Tufaro Classic generated well over a thousand toys for pediatric patients and children in need its first two years.
Since its inception in 2017, The Marisa Tufaro Foundation has donated more than $300,000 to fulfill its mission.
The nonprofit has also donated thousands of toys, nonperishable food items, winter jackets, baby supplies and other items upon which it has placed no monetary value.
In addition, The Marisa Tufaro Foundation has awarded $29,500 in academic scholarships to 42 Middlesex County high school seniors and 13 scholarships to elementary and middle school students to attend a weeklong summer art camp at Rutgers University’s Zimmerli Art Museum.
Born with a complex cardiac defect, Marisa Tufaro survived six open-heart surgeries and a heart transplant before succumbing in 2017 to a rare form of cancer that riddled her brain and body. She was just 13 years old.
Despite being hospitalized for more than two years and maintaining hundreds of doctors’ appointments, Marisa Tufaro was an Edison Township Public Schools honor roll student involved in myriad extracurricular activities who lived a vibrant life that inspired.
Months after her cancer diagnosis in the fall of 2016, Marisa was weaned from a ventilator days before Christmas. With high-dose steroids alleviating the swelling in her brain, Marisa miraculously regained her cognitive function and fine motor skills in time to celebrate the holiday with her parents, who could not have received a greater gift.
Through the generosity of strangers, Marisa was able to unwrap many wonderful donated presents. She passed away 36 days later.
RECOMMENDED ITEMS FOR DONATION
- Infant toys (toys that make noise, light up)
- Infant mobiles, crib mirrors, crib music players
- Baby rattles
- Toddler playsets (such as Little People)
- Barbie, princesses, baby dolls
- Play-Doh/Model Magic and tools
- Arts and craft supplies, coloring books, crayons, and markers
- Lego, Mega Bloks, K’NEX playsets
- Matchbox, Hot Wheels cars and playsets
- Uno cards, playing cards, other card games
- Children’s books (hardcover or paperback)
- Board books for babies
- Books for young teens and teens
- Board games
- Action figures (non-violent)
- Puzzles (25 to 100 pieces)
- Electronic learning toys
- Hand-held video games
- Sports equipment (basketballs, football, soccer balls)
- Educational games
- Portable DVD players, boom boxes, CD players
- iPads and Otterbox iPad protective cases
- Starlight Nintendo Switch Gaming Station
- Gift cards: Visa, American Express, Amazon, iTunes, Target
About Hackensack Meridian JFK University Medical Center
Serving residents of central New Jersey for more than 50 years, JFK University Medical Center offers a complete array of advanced services in its 498-bed facility located in Edison, N.J. With more than 1,000 affiliated physicians, this academic medical center offers a complete spectrum of advanced services including general and specialized surgery, cardiac care, maternity and pediatrics, oncology, imaging, breast center, sleep center, wound care, robotic surgery, emergency medicine, weight loss surgery, and radiology. It is home to the world-renowned JFK Neuroscience Institute that diagnoses and treats brain, spine and nervous system disorders. To learn more, visit hackensackmeridianhealth.org/JFKUMC
About Hands of Hope for The Community
Until the pandemic struck, distributing holiday toys to Middlesex County children in need was an annual tradition of Hands of Hope for the Community. The all-volunteer Edison-based nonprofit’s primary role is providing an efficient and centralized system for distributing food in Middlesex County to alleviate childhood and family hunger. Hands of Hope for the Community’s year-round food drives for the needy are focused on sustaining good nutrition, health and human dignity by providing a means for individuals to meet their full potential and to silence the pain hunger brings. In 1992 Hands of Hope, Inc. began to serve the community as a food pantry, soup kitchen and limited clothes closet. The nonprofit continues its service out of St. James Episcopal Church in Edison. To learn more, visit hohnj.org