Each year, hundreds of stuffed animals are cut open at an Ohio Department of Commerce laboratory, sacrificed for the safety of Ohio consumers. But, thanks to an innovative holiday program, these toys are being rescued so that they can be given to needy children.

"My hope is that these stuffed toys will help make the holidays brighter for less fortunate children," said Donna Owens, Director of the Ohio Department of Commerce. "I want to thank our employees and the seniors from Cambridge for donating their time and effort to make this a successful program."

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 a state laboratory in Cambridge, where they are cut open by lab technicians. The technicians perform chemical and microscopic tests on the hundreds of different types of fillers used in toys produced by manufacturers from around the world.

Instead of being disposed of, the toys are set aside until the holiday season, when they are "rescued" by state employees. This year, employees from the Department of Commerce's Division of Industrial Compliance are donating their time to carefully sew 435 toys back up along with 40 quilts, blankets and baby items. The toys will be given locally to toy give away programs sponsored by St. Stephen's Community House and Generations homeless shelter for children, while the quilts, blankets and baby items will be donated to Safe and Sound homeless shelter.

An additional 150 toys will be repaired by residents of the Red Carpet Health Care Center in Cambridge. These toys will remain in Cambridge and will be donated to holiday programs held by Secret Santa and the Salvation Army.

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