APPEAL TO TOY INDUSTRY TO PROVIDE DISASTER RELIEF...TODAY!

TO ALL IN THE TOY INDUSTRY - We have all no doubt heard of the devastation that has engulfed Asia as a result of the massive tsunami on December 26.

As many of us sit safely in our part of the world, we are watching images of devastation on TV and reading tales of survival. We are trying to comprehend the vastness of so many deaths.

Tragically the initial destruction was only the beginning. The death toll from Asia's massive tsunami will continue to mount: Lack of clean water and health care, as well as homelessness and poor sanitation, will put countless more at risk of cholera, malaria, and other diseases.

You want to help? A source of support is for individuals and organizations to make a donation to humanitarian organizations that have relief programs in Southeast Asia. (To aid you in making a donation now, we have listed names of organizations provided by a daily e-publication in major US cities. The following information is provided with the hope that you will take action now. This is not an endorsement.)

Oxfam America is sending food, water, hygiene kits, and plastic sheeting for temporary housing to Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

Operation USA, an L.A.-based disaster-relief organization, will be airlifting medical, nutritional, and shelter supplies into Sri Lanka and India.

Doctors Without Borders and International Medical Corps are sending medical and health-care relief to the entire region.

NetAid, a nonprofit that empowers the poor through educational initiatives, will use donations for emergency services and counseling and for rebuilding schoolhouses in Southern India.

Save the Children is mobilizing resources for families of survivors.

The American Red Cross is gathering support for its International Response Fund.

Lanka Academic Network, a Sri Lankan nonprofit, is dispatching a team of local university volunteers to aid the reconstruction. Additionally, it has set up a website where people can post information about missing loved ones.

USAID can direct donations of bulk commodities or volunteers with special disaster relief skills.

The SEA-EAT Bloggers are compiling exhaustive information (helplines, charities, photos, statistics).

It may feel like only a small dose of hope. But every bit counts.

On behalf of the Toy Industry Foundation and Toy Industry Association, we hope you'll take a moment now to support the countless individuals impacted by this tragic event.

With warm regards,

Neil Friedman Chairman Toy Industry Foundation

Arnie Rubin Chairman Toy Industry Association

P.S. We invite you to distribute this to everyone you know, in order to generate support for the victims.