rtm logo


rtm logo
Raving Toy Maniac home page
Toy news and pictures
The Toy Buzz Forum
Toy feature articles
Toy Columns
Toy Archives
Customizing action figures
Toy resources
Toy web links
Buy / Sell / Trade Forum
toy shows and events
Chat room
RTMemo - free email newsletter
Site Map
Contact the staff of the Raving Toy Maniac
Privacy information
rtmnews_logo.gif - 4347 Bytes

Home Depot's Atlanta Toy Drive


ATLANTA, Nov. 16 -- The NASCAR season isn't the only motorsports effort nearing its end, so is The Home Depot(R) (NYSE: HD), Toys for Tots drive, which will collect its final monetary and toy donations this weekend at the NAPA 500 in Atlanta. Home Depot, the world's leading home improvement retailer, has joined forces with Joe Gibbs Racing, the Coca-Cola Company, Interstate Batteries and Action Performance to benefit the U.S. Marine Corps' premier community action program -- Toys for Tots.

Through collective efforts, Home Depot and JGR Racing toy drives have raised more than 16,500 toys. NASCAR fans have stepped up to the plate with nearly $8,500 collected at the Talladega, Rockingham, Phoenix and Miami-Homestead races. The Toys for Toys drive also hit the Internet with the opportunity to join Coca-Cola and Joe Gibbs Racing to bid on ebay.com for Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte firesuits, helmets and signed paraphernalia, earning an additional $14,000 for Toys for Tots and bringing the current Toys for Tots monetary benefit to $22,500.

Home Depot launched the toy drive by donating 8,500 toys including Tony Stewart diecast cars, 1/64 miniature cars and Tony Stewart plush teddy bears valued at nearly $150,000. To continue the spirit of giving for children in need, Joe Gibbs Racing held a two-week toy drive in its local race community of Huntersville, North Carolina that raised 7,900 toy donations and $431.20.

Action Performance also donated 2,982 Hasbro Winner's Circle diecast cars to the drive. NASCAR fans have donated $8,500 straight from their pockets and have dropped off 160 toys.

"We're pleased that NASCAR fans have also embraced the Toys for Tots drive," said Suzanne Apple, vice president of community affairs for The Home Depot. "It's a wonderful feeling to know that local children near the NASCAR events will have a better holiday season through the combined efforts of The Home Depot, Coca-Cola, Joe Gibbs Racing, Interstate Batteries and Action Performance."

NASCAR fans still have the opportunity to drop off toys and monetary donations at the Home Depot Trailblazer located outside the track on Richard Petty Blvd., near the "G" entrance of Atlanta Motor Speedway, from Friday through Sunday. Home Depot aims to reach $10,000 in fan donations by the end of the race weekend. The first 500 fans to donate receive a $5 coupon redeemable at the Tony Stewart merchandise hauler at the track.

Even after the toy drive ends in Atlanta, NASCAR fans can still help children in need this holiday season, by visiting Home Depot stores nationwide and purchasing specialty-themed #20 Polar Bear merchandise including limited edition 1/64 dual-packed Polar Bear cars driven by Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte at Talladega for Toys for Tots. Home Depot is donating a portion of the proceeds and one hundred percent of its royalties from the sale of all Toys for Tots merchandise available now in Home Depot stores.

About The Home Depot

Founded in 1978, The Home Depot operates 1,253 stores in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Chile and Argentina. In February, Fortune magazine named Home Depot the sixth Most Admired Company in America. The company's stock is publicly traded and is included in the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. The Home Depot will donate $25 million through charitable programming in 2001.

About Toys for Tots

The U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is the Marine Corps' premier community action program and the only charitable endeavor within the Department of Defense which resides outside the military establishment to give something back to the communities from which the nation draws the young men and women who wear the uniforms of the armed services of the United States. Over the past 53 years, the U.S. Marines have distributed over 272,000,000 toys to 133,000,000 needy children throughout the nation.

previousarrow.gif - 673 Bytesbacktortmnews.gif - 1037 Bytesnextarrow.gif - 582 Bytes


In Association with Amazon.com Big Bad Toy Store - click for more information





All images, format, content, and design are copyright © 1994-2013 Raving Toy Maniac. No part of these pages may be reproduced without express written consent of the Raving Toy Maniac. Licensed character names and images are copyright © their respective companies.