TEAM Launches Toy Drive

TEAM, Inc. kicked off its annual toy drive last week, to collect new toys for children in need this holiday season. 

The toy drive was launched at John J. Sullivan’s restaurant in Ansonia, where more than 70 volunteers who help collect and distribute toys, and organize the TEAM toy store” had breakfast before picking up toy drop-off boxes and posters. 

The breakfast was sponsored by Webster Bank and John J. Sullivan’s restaurant. Even the wait staff volunteered to work the breakfast. In all, 135 volunteers are expected to participate in the toy drive this year. 

TEAM Toys 4 Kids (formerly known as Valley Toys for Tots), the largest holiday toy drive in the region, collects toys for children from infancy to 12 years old who live in Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Derby, Oxford, Seymour, Shelton, Orange and Woodbridge. 

TEAM provided 5,740 toys to 1,435 children and 445 toys to five organizations last year. 

At the breakfast this morning, Dr. Bruce Sofferman, a dentist with offices in Derby and Oxford, who helped found the toy drive as a small effort in the Valley, applauded TEAMs efforts.

It has grown to become a very well run, beautiful event,” Sofferman said. TEAM has run it with class.” 

The event is almost entirely run by volunteers, with support from TEAM staff, said Diane Stroman, TEAMs vice president of Development. 

Last year, 135 volunteers gave a total of 1,100 hours to TEAM Toys 4 Kids. 

This breakfast acknowledges the incredibly dedicated corps of 135 volunteers who help collect and distribute toys, the 117 local businesses who serve as donation drop-off sites and the many companies and civic groups that host their own drives for us,” Stroman said, also acknowledging the city of Ansonia for donating the use of space where the TEAM toy store” will be held. 

This year, the greatest need is for gifts for children 10 to 12 years old. 

Some recommended donations include: skateboards, snowboards and snow tubs, cameras, curling irons/flat irons/blow dryers, computer games, soccer balls and baseballs, MP3 players, sports posters and watches. Gift cards, at a $5 minimum, to Blockbuster, Seymour Cinema 12, iTunes, Target and Amazon.com, among others, are also suggested. For a full list of suggestions (list attached), please visit the TEAM website at www.teaminc.org.

Once collected, toys from the drive are distributed to eligible parents at the TEAM toy store” at 153 Main St., Ansonia, on Dec. 16, 19, 20 and 21. Parents must request toys in advance by signing up at the TEAM offices, 30 Elizabeth St., Derby, from now through Dec. 14. Parents are given an exact date and time to shop” for their toys. 

Starting Nov. 10, 117 drop-off sites will accept toy donations until Dec. 13. However, if toys are donated after Dec. 13, TEAM will accept them. 

Drop off sites are listed at the end of this article.

TEAM also announced several upcoming events to benefit the TEAM Toys 4 Kids drive:

  • Nov. 27: The seventh annual Christmas Breakfast sponsored by Thomas and Diane Baklik is the Sunday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 27, at the Baklik home, 19 Chucta Road, Seymour. The Bakliks, who own the Yankee Clipper barber shop, offer a full breakfast, entertainment and a visit from Santa Claus in exchange for an unwrapped new toy for TEAM Toys 4 Kids.
  • Dec. 3: Echo Hose Ambulance and Pine Rock Park Fire Co. 4 will sponsor Story Time with Santa,” 9:30 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Dec. 3,at the Huntington Library inside the Shelton Community Center, 41 Church St., Shelton. Children will be treated to free hot chocolate, cookies and photos with Santa. Special guests will read children’s stories. Attendees are asked to bring a new unwrapped toy valued at $10. Cash donations also will be accepted and will go toward buying toys for TEAM Toys 4 Kids.
  • Dec. 10: The Seymour Police Department will hold its annual Fill the Police Cruiser” for donors to fill a police car with new unwrapped toys from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10, at Super Stop & Shop, 15 Franklin St., Seymour.
  • Dec. 11: Marcucio Gardens, run by the Marcucio family, will hold a free holiday party at the nursery, 480 New Haven Ave., Derby, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 11. Children will have photos taken with Santa and Mrs. Claus, will paint their own ornaments, which they can take home; and will be treated to hot chocolate, all while being serenaded by a youth string orchestra. Families are asked to bring a new unwrapped toy for TEAM Toys 4 Kids.

To volunteer to hold a special event, host a drop-off site or work at the TEAM toy store,” please call Trish Wigglesworth at TEAM at 203 736‑5420 × 221. 

Drop Off Sites

Ansonia

Ansonia City Hall 253 Main St. 

Ansonia Post Office 237 Main St.

Ansonia Public Library 53 S. Cliff St.

Ansonia Yankee Peddler 150 Main St.

Bank of America 382 Main St.

Big Y 403 Main St.

Central Subalpi Club 30 Parker St.

CTS 200 Main St.

Cutting Crew 405 Main St.

Doyle Senior Center 153 Main St.

Emmett O’Brien HS 141 Prindle Ave.

Hilltop Health Center 126 Ford St.

John J. Sullivan’s 557 Wakelee Ave.

Smith’s Shell Station 22 Great Hill Rd

Speed of Sound Tech. 230 Pershing Dr.

Spector Furniture 385 Main St.

TEAM Early Ed 80 Howard Ave.

Webster Bank 200 Division St. 

Beacon Falls

Beacon Falls Post Office 100 North Main St. 

Bethany

Bethany Town Hall 40 Peck Rd.

Webster Bank 696 Amity Rd. 

Derby

Archie Moore’s 17 Elizabeth St.

Ballroom Dance 33 Elizabeth St.

Bar None Rest. 87 Elizabeth St.

Derby Neck Library 307 Hawthorne Ave.

Derby Post Office 74 Olivia St.

Derby Public Library 313 Elizabeth St.

Derby Senior Center 293 Main St.

Derby Town Hall 1 Elizabeth St.

Do’s By TT 146 New Haven Ave.

Edible Arrangements 676 Derby Ave.

Griffin Hospital 130 Division St.

Liberty Rehab 49 Pershing Dr.

Marcucio Gardens 480 New Haven Ave.

McDonald’s 44 Division St.

St. Mary’s/St. Michael’s 14 Seymour Ave.

Smile Dental Center 61 Elizabeth St.

Smoke & Bones 1 New Haven Ave.

TEAM, Inc. 30 Elizabeth St.

Webster Bank 500 New Haven Ave. 

Oxford

All Star Transportation 516 Oxford Rd.

Coldwell Banker R.E. 71 Oxford Rd.

Oxford Town Hall 486 Oxford Rd.

Smile Dental Center 318 Oxford Rd.

Webster Bank 60 Oxford Rd. 

Seymour

Bank of America 115 Main St. 

N Valley Svgs. & Loan 249 West St.

Seymour Library 46 Church St.

Seymour Police Dept. 11 Franklin St.

Seymour Post Office 91 Main St.

Sikorsky F.C. U. 253 West St.

Staffworks 117 Main St.

Stop & Shop 15 Franklin St.

TD Bank 294 Bank St.

Town Hall 1 First St.

Webster Bank 15 New Haven Rd.

Yankee Clipper Brbrshop 19 Chucta Rd. 

Shelton

A Child’s Garden 20 Ivy Brook Rd

Bank of America 1 Trap Falls Rd.

Barnum Financial Group 6 Corporate Dr.

Billy D’s 58 Bridgeport Ave.

Bpt. Ave. Shell & Novelty 99 Bridgeport Ave.

Bright Horizons 3 Corporate Dr.

CT. Waste 46 Oliver Terr.

Cork & Keg 515 Bridgeport Ave.

Curtiss-Ryan 333 Bridgeport Ave.

D’Addario, Buick, Nissan 329 Bridgeport Ave.

Echo Hose Ambulance 100 Meadow St.

Freedom from Disabilities 19 Forest Pkwy.

G. V. Chmbr Commerce 900 Bridgeport Ave.

Happy Day Preschool 41 Church St.

Hewitt Health & Rehab 45 Maltby St.

Huntington Brnch Library 41 Church St.

Huntington Post Office 500 Shelton Ave.

Liquid Lunch 434 Howe Ave.

Marks by Design 500D Howe Ave.

New Alliance Bank 350 Bridgeport Ave.

Newtown Savings Bank 194 Leavenworth Ave.

Pagliaro’s Lunch 58 Huntington Plaza

Pine Rock Fire House 722Long Hill Ave.

Plumb Memorial Library 65 Wooster St.

Pumpkin Pre School 100 Beard Sawmill Rd.

Scinto Group 1 Corporate Dr.

Serra & DelVecchio 112 Huntington St.

Shelton Fst.Untd Methdist 188 Rocky Rest Rd.

Sears Hardware 705 Bridgeport Ave.

Shelton Post Office 88 Bridge St.

Shelton Senior Center 81 Wheeler St.

Shelton Town Hall 54 Hill St

Sikorsky F.C. U. 711 Bridgeport Ave.

TD Bank 820 Bridgeport Ave.

Webster Bank 506 Shelton Ave.

Webster Bank 502 Howe Ave.

Webster Bank 375 Bridgeport Ave.

Whte Hills Wine & Sprits 206 Leavenworth Ave.

W Raveis Real Estate 2 Huntington St.

Wonder Years Learning 188 Rocky Rest.

United Methodist Homes 580 Long Hill Ave. 

Woodbridge

Library 10 Newton Rd. 

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