Goodfellows toy fund raises more than $185,000

PITTSBURGH, January 1, 2005 – The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has lent a helping hand during this Christmas season by raising more than $185,000 for PG Charities Goodfellows from our generous readers. In an effort to provide every child with a toy on Christmas, the PG Charities Goodfellows Toy Fund was able to make a child’s Christmas wish come true.

Founded in 1948, the PG Charities Goodfellows Toy Fund is designed to do one simple thing: make sure every child receives a toy for the holidays. Goodfellows carries on the wonderful work of the late George Bond, who collected and distributed playthings to children in destitute homes and charitable institutions for 40 years.

In addition to distributing toys to children, Goodfellows Toy Fund has made a $5,000 donation for winter coats to support Operation Warm. The Howard Levin Clubhouse, a place where adults coping with a mental illness can come together to meet friends, find support, and gain valuable social and work skills and the Marines helped in the distribution process. From this donation, 500 new coats were provided to needy children in the Pittsburgh region.

Operation Warm works to enhance the self-esteem of disadvantaged children by providing them with resources that promote a positive self-image and foster the conviction that says, "I am of value." As a symbol of self-esteem and confidence, a brand new coat is provided to these children-in-need.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is Western Pennsylvania’s largest newspaper and www.post-gazette.com is the region’s most visited web site. Together they reach more than one million people every week. The Post-Gazette has served the Pittsburgh community, its readers and advertisers as the region’s indispensable source of news, advertising and information for more than two centuries.