Jennifer Sneider, owner of J‑Cuts located at 505 Howe Ave., downtown Shelton, has again begun to collect stuffed monkeys for Valentine’s Day.
Donations may be dropped off or mailed to J‑Cuts from now through February 3, 2014.
This year, organizers announce they are beginning the collection early.
The thought behind it is to start collecting before the end of this year to give more time for donators to search for stuffed monkeys and mail them in or drop them off.
Each year, Keith Urban “Ville” fan club and Facebook members mail stuffed monkeys to Connecticut from all over the World. Beginning the drive early will give them more time to send them in.
Aside from collecting at J Cuts, additional drop off locations will include Minuteman Press, 427 Howe Avenue, Suite 2 and the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce, 10 Progress Drive, 2nd Floor, both of Shelton. The Chamber will begin collecting on January 1st.
Topside Cafe, 333 Boston Post Road, Milford is also collecting again this year.
Each year, Minuteman Press of Shelton donates posters.
This annual community event benefits abused and neglected children, impoverished, adopted and sick children, frightened children involved in police calls, as well as children treated for emergencies, cancer or other illnesses at local hospitals.
Last year, a member of Keith Urban’s online community, the “Ville,” who resides in Derby, coordinated a collection once again. Plush monkeys were mailed in from all over the World including Australia, Canada and Spain as well as 32 states within the United States! Keith Urban’s fans collected over 1,160 monkeys! Their goal was to collect more than the previous year, which netted 719. With the generous support and kindness of Keith Urban’s fans, they went way beyond their goal and continued to make this drive a global effort.
Huntington Family Dental Group, located at 534 Shelton Avenue, Shelton, also joined in by holding a collection.
In addition, the Shelton Lion’s Club participated. Because they were putting together Easter food and candy baskets for less fortunate families in Shelton, the monkeys were donated right back to their organization to include in these baskets.
Ruth Rogers, owner of Topside Cafe, 333 Boston Post Road, Milford, along with Mary Finnegan and Lenny Marconi, held their 3rd Annual Monkey Love Sunday on January 27, 2013. Approximately fifty stuffed monkeys were collected. They hold a Monkey Love Sunday celebration each year on the Sunday before Superbowl. Stuffed monkey donations can be dropped off this day. The public is free to stop by for food, fun and raffles. They hope to have other area pubs in Milford and Shelton join in this annual event to benefit area children in need.
The 7th Annual Monkey Love Valentine Drive, held in 2013, collected and distributed 1,628 stuffed monkeys to TEAM, Inc. of Derby, the Seymour Police Department, Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital at Bridgeport Hospital Campus, Griffin Hospital, Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital, Milford and the Lower Naugatuck Valley Boys & Girls Clubs, Milford Department of Children & Families and BHcare’s Center for Domestic Violence Services of Ansonia.
Twenty-six stuffed monkeys with cards were given to the siblings of children who were victims at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown.
Sneider uses her business as the main collection and drop off location. She wanted to help out by taking this drive over from the former owners of Luther’s Garage automotive repair business, which was previously located around the corner from her business.
“This is my fourth year doing it,” says Sneider. “We have so much fun. My customers get involved and my teenage daughter and her friends join in to help by decorating the barber shop in anticipation of a whole bunch of monkeys moving in for a little while. It is an amazing feeling to know each and every one of these monkeys will find comfort in the arms of a child in need and the children will find comfort in these monkeys. Each year, we hope to have an even more successful drive to create miles of smiles on the faces of precious children in great need.”
For health and safety reasons, stuffed monkeys should be new with tags.
J Cuts also holds an annual Back to School Book Bag & School Supply Drive.
For more information, call J‑Cuts at 203 – 924-4107.