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FOR THE HOLIDAYS

(Columbus) – Earlier today, employees from the Department of Commerce’s Divisionsof Industrial Compliance, Liquor Control and the State Fire Marshal’s office donated their lunch hour to carefully sew 623 stuffed toys.

Each year, hundreds of stuffed animals are cut open at an Ohio Department of Commerce laboratory,sacrificed for the safety of Ohio consumers. Commerce’s Bedding and Upholstered Furniture section inspects filler material inside representative samples of stuffed toys sold statewide, to ensure the toys are safe and accurately labeled. The toys are sent by the manufacturers to the state laboratory in Cambridge, where they are cut open by lab technicians. The technicians perform chemical and microscopic tests on hundreds of different types of fillers used in toys produced by manufacturers from around the world.  

Thanks to an innovative holiday program that began 16 years ago, the toys are set aside until the holiday season where instead of being disposed of, they are “rescued” by state employees. 

“While trying my hand at sewing and poking myself numerous times in the process, I really appreciate the gift our employees give to the children in central Ohio,” said Department of Commerce Director Gary C. Suhadolnik. “Knowing these stuffed toys will make a child’s holiday season brighter is well worth it.”

The items will be donated locally to toy giveaways by NBC 4 and their “Firefighters 4 Kids” program in conjunction with the Columbus Division of Fire as well as to St. Stephen’s Community House and Heritage Day/Health Care.

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