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Health & Fitness

Ocean County YMCA Awarded $10,000 Grant from the Toys 'R' Us Children's Fund

Ocean County YMCA Awarded $10,000 Grant from the Toys"R"Us Children's Fund

The Ocean County YMCA has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund through its 2011 New Jersey grant initiative. The one-time grants were given by the Fund to alleviate economic challenges and sustain organizations that favorably impact children across New Jersey. The Ocean County YMCA was one of 54 organizations selected from a pool of more than 500 proposals from charities requesting funding from across the state.

“This grant will support the YMCA Summer Day Camp, helping us provide Ocean County children with a fun, enriching, and confidence-building experience,” said Rodger D. Koerber, President & CEO of the Ocean County YMCA. “Through activities like swimming, group sports, field trips, arts and crafts, and nature walks, our campers learn core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility in a diverse and multi-cultural environment.”

“Of the many proposals we received, the Ocean County YMCA demonstrated a distinctive commitment to supporting children in New Jersey,” said Kathleen Waugh, Chairman, Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund. “With additional support from the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund this year, we hope the impact of its meaningful work will be even greater to further our collective efforts in our state to keep kids safe and help them in times of need.”

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Grants will support a wide array of unique programs and services aligned with the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund mission of keeping children safe and helping them in times of need. Funding was awarded to nonprofit organizations that demonstrated an immediate and specific need and directly impacted children in the state. Kids in each of New Jersey’s 21 counties will benefit from the impact of the grant initiative through community-based and statewide charities.

The $10,000 grant awarded to the Ocean County YMCA will allow campers from across Ocean County to attend Summer Day Camp, regardless of their ability to pay. A state-licensed child-care program, the camp welcomes children ages 3 to 18. To view the complete list of recipients, please visit: Toysrusinc.com/charitable-giving/2011NJGrants

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Toys“R”Us, Inc. has a long history of giving back to the communities it serves by keeping kids safe and helping them in times of need. The company and the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund together have given hundreds of thousands of dollars in product donations and monetary grants annually to a wide range of nonprofit organizations in New Jersey. For 38 years, Toys“R”Us, Inc. has been based in New Jersey with more than 4,500 employees across more than 45 stores, regional offices, the corporate headquarters and the company’s largest retail distribution center in the country.  For more information about Toys“R”Us, Inc. charitable giving and the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund, please visit Toysrusinc.com/charitable-giving.

About the Ocean County YMCA

The Ocean County YMCA is a 501(c)(3) community organization that nurtures the potential of kids, promotes healthy living, and fosters a sense of social responsibility. Its Summer Day Camp will run from June 18 to August 31 at the YMCA facility at 1088 West Whitty Road in Toms River. Camp hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Free extended care is also available. To learn more about Summer Day Camp, YMCA membership, and other programs, visit www.ocymca.org or call 732 341 9622 ext 0.

About the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund

The Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund is a public charity affiliated with Toys“R”Us, Inc., a company that unabashedly declares “We love kids!” The core mission of the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund is to keep children safe and help them in times of need. Since it was founded in 1992, the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund has contributed millions of dollars to qualified organizations that support that mission, including those providing disaster relief to children and families who are victims of large-scale crises. The Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund also provides grants to leading organizations that support children with special needs.  Primary fundraising activities include the annual Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund Gala, a private, invitation-only event that showcases the work of the Fund and raises money to support its many beneficiaries. This annual benefit has raised more than $95 million since its inception in 1985 and is one of the largest single-night fundraising events held in New York City.

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