CT Lottery, CCMC Teaming up for Annual Toy Drive

ROCKY HILL, CT — The Connecticut Lottery on Tuesday said the fourth year of its “Do a ‘Lotto’ Good, Give a Toy” holiday toy drive is starting this week.

The program is scheduled for Nov. 9 through Dec. 15 and is designed to, as CT Lottery officials put it, "raise responsible gambling awareness that lottery tickets are not suitable gifts for children ... Give a child a toy, not a ticket."

For the fourth year in a row, the CT Lottery is partnering with Connecticut Children’s Medical Center for the drive.

Lottery officials said that, on average, 150 children are treated daily in the center's emergency department alone and each child will receive a toy as part of the program.

Toys are also given to every child who has a procedure, celebrates a birthday or special event. Toys are also used in multiple playrooms throughout the hospital and utilized as a distraction from pain before shots, tests and surgeries, hospital and lottery officials said.

In total, the yearly need for donated toys is great — 73,000 — ranging from a simple deck of cards or silly bands, to the more substantial, board games and video games, hospital and lottery officials said.

“We are excited to be hosting and promoting our fourth-annual holiday campaign,” said Chelsea Turner, interim CT Lottery president and CEO. “In partnership with iHeart Media, we will be educating adults that lottery tickets are not suitable gifts for kids. Instead, we are encouraging adults to consider donating a toy to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. We hope these toys help spread some smiles to kids who are in the hospital during the holidays, and other times throughout the year.”

New, unwrapped toys can be dropped off Nov. 9 to Dec. 15 at:

• CT Lottery Headquarters, 777 Brook St., Rocky Hill, Mon through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, 100 Great Meadow Road, Wethersfield
• Kenny’s Wine & Spirits, 23 Federal Road, Danbury
• The Salad Bar, 856 Cromwell Avenue, Rocky Hill
• Wooden Toy, 1275 Silas Deane Hwy, Wethersfield
• C&A Market, 1088 Boston Post Road, West Haven
• Middletown U-Haul, 1200 Newfield St., Middletown

For a “Wish List” of suggested gift ideas, visit connecticutchildrens.org/support-us/donate-toys/.

Patch File Photo