Selective Employees Build Bikes for Toy Drive

Employees at Selective Insurance Company of America recently held a friendly competition to build bikes for distribution to local families as part of the company’s contribution to the Season of Hope Toy Drive. Sue Murphy and her husband Greg Murphy, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Selective Insurance Group, Inc., are serving as the honorary chairpersons of this year’s Season of Hope partnership, a consortium of local social service agencies and businesses who have banded together to collect toys and other items for low-income families in Sussex and Northern Warren Counties.

Each December for the past nine years, Selective employees form teams and battle each other to build bikes for the Season of Hope Toy Drive. This year 15 bikes were assembled during the benevolent battle. Many employees who are not busy building bikes attend the annual gathering to support their co-workers. “At Selective, response is everything. That includes responding to local families in need to help make the holidays special for their little ones. Supporting the Season of Hope Toy Drive by building bikes for children in need is just one of the many ways that Selective works to improve the lives of others in the communities we serve,” commented Kimberly Burnett, Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer at Selective. “Our team had fun volunteering their time to build bikes, and we hope that kids have even more fun riding them!”

Led by Project Self-Sufficiency, the consortium of local enterprises behind the Season of Hope Toy Drive also includes Charm, The Chatterbox Drive In, iHeartMedia, Inc., Intercar Mercedes Benz, Pass it Along, Selective Insurance Company of America, Service Electric Broadband Cable, the Sussex County Chamber of Commerce, Sussex Honda, The New Jersey Herald, The Printing Center, and the United States Marine Corps Toys for Tots. The group hopes to collect more than 20,000 items for distribution to low-income Sussex and northern Warren County families in mid-December.

“We are delighted that Sue and Greg Murphy are leading the Season of Hope Toy Drive again this year,” noted Deborah Berry-Toon, Executive Director of Project Self-Sufficiency. “With their leadership, and the creativity and support of the entire Selective Insurance Company of America family, local parents will not only receive toys for their children, but they will also receive the gift of a holiday season filled with hope for their entire family.”

Those who wish to contribute to the Season of Hope Holiday Toy Drive are encouraged to drop off a new, unwrapped toy at Project Self-Sufficiency. Gift items will be gratefully received at Project Self-Sufficiency, which is located at 127 Mill Street in Newton, Monday – Thursday, from 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. or Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Additional drop-off sites can be viewed on the Project Self-Sufficiency website, www.projectselfsufficiency.org. Monetary donations can be made at www.projectselfsufficiency.org. Donations are requested by December 16th in order to allow ample time for the items to be distributed to needy families. For more information, call Project Self-Sufficiency at 973-940-3500, or visit www.projectselfsufficiency.org.