Greetings, Learning Expressions Readers!
Today I’d like to tell you a bit about what we’ve been up to the last couple of weeks here at Learning Express.
Twice a year, members of the Learning Express family gather together to find the latest and greatest toys, books, and games. In February, store owners and home office staff brave the cold weather and head to Toy Fair in New York, and every June we gather for the annual Learning Express Convention. Unlike Toy Fair (which hosts toy store owners from around the world) the LE convention is exclusively for Learning Express store owners. Much to many a store owner’s delight, this year it was held in wild and wonderful Las Vegas, Nevada.
The convention typically features workshops, play nights, and keynote speakers—but the real highlight is always the two-day vendor expo. This year, over 120 vendors set up booths where they could demonstrate and showcase their products to our owners.
So what happens to all the fabulously fun toys when it’s time to pack up those booths? Well, many generous vendors actually choose to leave the toys they’ve brought, so they can be donated to a local nonprofit. Pretty amazing, right? We certainly think so.
This year, Learning Express selected Family Promise to benefit from this generosity—a nonprofit committed to helping homeless and low-income families achieve lasting independence. With a shocking 1 in 50 American children experiencing homelessness in their lifetime, we couldn’t think of a better cause to support.
After the home office staff packed up all the donations (that’s a whole lot of boxes!) they were brought
to the local chapter of Family Promise in Las Vegas. On Saturday, June 30th representatives from Family Promise and Learning Express gathered for a Giving Day in which local homeless children were given toys and the nonprofit announced how the donation will benefit local children for many months to come. Over the next year, the toys will be put into a “Birthday Shop” where homeless parents can come and select toys for their children, and a “Christmas Store” where they can do the same. They will also be used in the Family Promise Day Centers.
Check us out on the news!
We’d like to give a huge thank you to all of the vendors who generously donated to these children, including but not limited to: Educational Insights, Klutz, PlaymobilUSA, Learning Resources, Schylling, Blue Orange, PlaSmart, TMI Toy Marketing, MGA Entertainment, Sports Images, ALEX, Be Amazing, BriarPatch,The Original Toy Company, Diggin, Pretty Ugly, and Infinitoy.
Talk to you again soon!
