Marlene Hochman, founder and executive director of The Doll and Toy Museum of NYC, will host the museum’s Ninth Anniversary Celebration, June 10 from 5-7 p.m. at the Brooklyn Heights Public Library 280 Cadman Plaza West, second floor.
The event will honor Brooklyn Heights resident Nancy Morgan, who donated her childhood doll collection to the museum. Three successful organizations who sponsor toy drives during the holidays for needy children will receive special recognition for their commitment to the community, for their charity work and for making the holiday’s memorable for thousands of children.
Mary Ellroy, nationally acclaimed toy inventor, will receive recognition as the second inductee in the museum’s Toy Inventor Hall of Fame. This distinction is bestowed annually to a living toy inventor who is a leader in the toy industry and has invented a toy[s] that reflects the vision of the museum’s commitment to education and/or play.
This annual celebration is an integral part of the Doll and Toy Museum’s fundraising endeavors to help raise annual funds to support the ongoing exhibit on display at the Brooklyn Heights Public Library on the 2nd floor and for educational programs provided by the museum for public schools. Grants alone do not cover all of the costs involved in creating the exhibits or programming. Annual gifts provide needed resources for technical support, collection management, equipment, operations and an array of institutional needs.
Over the course of the year, the museum will be launching an endowment fund designated for a capital project and support for the continuation of quality exhibits in the finest libraries in New York City such as the Brooklyn Heights Public Library. Members of the Doll and Toy Museum Fund Committee will help raise leadership gift through soliciting individuals who would like to help the museum build a permanent home, host events, and serve as ambassadors of the Doll and Toy Museum.
Morgan’s childhood was filled with dolls beginning with Raggedy Ann, a gift from her mother in 1938. Throughout the years she has amassed an impressive doll collection, augmented by foreign dolls collected during her extensive travels since the 1950s. Her dolls will now have a safe home with the museum.
In addition to honoring Morgan, community service awards called The Truckload of Toys Drive Awards will be presented to two local Brooklyn organizations — the Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association & Children of the City — and one national foundation, the Today Show Charitable Foundation.
The Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association will receive an award for their ongoing support of the Brooklyn community through their Annual Toy Drive, which benefits the Safe Homes Project as well as The Good Shepherd program in Park Slope. And the Children of the City will receive recognition for the community service they provide to the Sunset Park residents through their toy drive for under privileged children.
The Today Show Charitable Foundation will also be honored for their first rate television toy drive. They distribute over 200,000 toys, books, bears, dolls and more through their annual television toy drive. Each year they serve more than two million under-served children. The Today Show anchor Natalie Morales will be in attendance to receive their award.
Morales joined “Today” as a national correspondent in February 2006. She also co-anchors for the program and fills in regularly at the news desk. She was named co-anchor of the fourth hour of ‘Today’ in September 2007.
In addition to this celebration, the museum exhibit on display, “American Games and Toys of the 20th Century,” is available to view during regular library hours. Hundreds of people visit this exhibit on a daily basis including tourists, school groups, doll and toy enthusiasts, and library visitors. The museum makes every effort to create the best possible exhibits that appeal to all ages.
Established in 1999 as a non-profit, the museum has touring exhibits, a growing world class toy collection and educational programs in public schools.
For more about the event, admission and/or to make a charitable contribution, or to get involved, contact Marlene Hochman, founder and executive director, The Doll and Toy Museum of NYC, Administrative Office, 157 Montague Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201, call 718-243-0820 or email, mhochmandtofnyc@aol.com or go to www.dtmnyc.org.
