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Heroes & Helpers Toy Drive

Being in the hospital can be a lot for a child. The right toy can make a big difference.

Through the Heroes & Helpers Toy Drive, you can help Connecticut Children’s Child Life specialists provide carefully selected toys, resources and programs to support children throughout their care. From activities that offer comfort and distraction to motorized vehicles children can drive on their way to surgery, these resources can help kids understand what’s happening, cope with medical procedures and feel more at ease.

Child riding an electric car to his surgery

Raise Money for Toys

When you raise funds for Heroes & Helpers, you help Child Life specialists respond to what kids need most, when they need it. Funds provide the flexibility to replenish high-use favorites, purchase specialized items and meet needs that change throughout the year. It’s a simple way to turn your fundraising into something that is 100% for kids.

Create Your Fundraising Page
Child Life makes use of toys in the most creative, therapeutic ways!

Your Donation in Action

Young patient playing with toys smiling

$150

Infant Activities: Our tiniest patients benefit from books being read to them, rattles, teething rings, stuffed animals, blankets, mobiles and more!

Patient using toy to crawl with care provider

$250

Developmental Toys: Help patients reach milestones throughout the duration of an inpatient stay.  These toys are also used in outpatient settings, for example in Physical Therapy as seen here.

Patient practicing port access on teddy bear

$500

Therapeutic Toys: Also known as play with purpose, help kids learn about tests, surgeries and medical procedures in an age-appropriate way.

Ready to Fundraise?

Create an individual or team fundraising page and invite your network to join you in making a difference for kids at Connecticut Children’s.

Click “Create Your Fundraiser” and create your own fundraising page or join a team.

Personalize your page with a photo, message and fundraising goal to share why you’re supporting Heroes & Helpers.

Use the built-in social media and sharing tools to easily spread the word with your network, wherever you are.

Invite colleagues, friends and family to make a monetary gift and help Child Life provide toys, games and medical play items for patients.

Get Your Organization Involved

 

 

Stop & Shop volunteers during the toy drive

Become a Sponsor

When your company sponsors the Heroes & Helpers Toy Drive, you're doing more than supporting a holiday tradition—you’re showing up for kids and families at Connecticut Children’s. Sponsorship gives your employees and customers a meaningful way to come together around a shared cause while putting your company’s commitment to the community into action.

Sponsorship opportunities also include in-person volunteer experiences that bring your team together while giving back.

Inquire Now

Coordinate Your Own Toy Collection

Bring your team together for a hands-on way to support Connecticut Children's. Collect new, unwrapped toys from our Child Life wish list at your office, school or organization, then sign up for a time to bring your donations to our Heroes & Helpers drop-off event on Dec. 11 or 12 in East Hartford.

Visit our Toy In-Kind Donation page for the wish list, donation guidelines and drop-off details.

 

Child Life Wish List

 

Business owner dropping toys off at the in person event

28,000+ Toys

In 2025 alone, the Heroes and Helpers Toy Drive collected over 28,000 toys and raised over $70,000 for kids at Connecticut Children's.