Toy Drive Organized for Children of Crash Victims

An unidentified woman has organized a toy drive to brighten the holidays for the children of 248 American servicemen killed in a chartered jet crash earlier this month, a charitable foundation said Sunday.

The Christmas toy drive has five of the nation’s largest toy manufacturers donating toys for the children of the servicemen killed in the Dec. 12 crash in Canada.

The woman at first was unable to persuade toy companies to make donations, but that changed when she got in touch with the Americares Foundation, which is based in New Canaan.

Since the foundation got involved, the toy manufacturers have sent a “large amount of toys,” said foundation spokesman Jim Corsiglio.

The woman who came up with the idea has asked that her name not be made public, Corsiglio said.

The toys will be flown to Ft. Campbell, Ky., the home base of the 248 members of the 101st Airborne Division who died when the chartered jet that was flying them home for the holidays crashed.

“Obviously, the toys aren’t going to bring their fathers back, but maybe they won’t have such a bleak memory of Christmas this year,” Corsiglio said.

He said Coleco Industries, Selchow & Righter Co., Hasbro Inc., Tomy Inc. and Mattell Inc. are donating toys, and Emery Air Freight will donate its services to pick up the toys and fly them to Kentucky.