PERRYSBURG – After Santa has come and gone, many parents are left wondering where they will find space in
the house for all of their children’s new holiday treasures. The Town Center at Levis Commons and
Cousino Restoration offer a solution to this dilemma with the 9th annual Play It Forward Used Toy Drive
that rescues and recycles outgrown toys to give to underprivileged children.
This annual event has grown over the years and two new elements will be incorporated into the drive this
year. For 2019, Play It Forward will also include the collection of used sporting goods and
sports-related equipment. These items will be donated to kids who may otherwise be sidelined by the
inability to purchase the necessary items to participate in sports. Toledo-based organization, UpLyft
Toledo, will be handling the distribution of these items.
Also new this year, Play It Forward will be partnering with Keep Perrysburg Beautiful, a Hasbro Toy
Recycling Pilot Program. Hasbro Toys has selected Perrysburg as a pilot location for the recycling of
all damaged or broken Hasbro toys and games. These items can also be dropped off at Levis Commons on
Jan. 19 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Donations of gently-used, still-working toys, broken or damaged Hasbro toys, and gently-used sporting
goods can be dropped off next to Bar Louie at Levis Commons. The toys will be cleaned and donated to
children in Northwest Ohio who may not have been as fortunate this holiday season.
“Play it Forward is a simple concept with a widespread impact,” said Allison Schroeder, marketing
director of the Town Center at Levis Commons, Hill Partners Inc. “By collecting the no-longer-used-toys,
we keep them out of landfills and are able to provide the tools essential to creativity and imagination
for children who need them. With the new additions this year of Hasbro toy recycling and the collection
of sporting goods to be distributed to kids in need, we are further extending our mission to make ‘out
with the old, in with the new’ benefit the community we live in.”
Cousino Restoration provides countless hours of manpower and the equipment to help collect, transport,
store and clean all of the toys. Additionally, throughout January, there is a need for volunteers to
help sort and clean the toys before they are delivered. This is a great opportunity for students,
churches, service groups, or anyone looking to donate time to a worthy cause.
Contact Shelly Konz at 419-931-2054 or [email protected] for more information about
volunteering.
Since inception, the Play it Forward Toy Drive has collected thousands of toys. Donated items have been
delivered to organizations such as Mom’s House, Family House and the Aurora House as well as to families
that live in LMHA Housing and children active in the Lucas County Children Services program.