Group Donates “Asthma & Allergy Friendly” Toys to Kids Across the U.S. on World Allergy Day
(December 5, 2007 — Washington, DC) The oldest and largest allergy patient advocacy organization in the world, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), is making the holidays a little brighter for children coast-to-coast who are hospitalized due to asthma, allergies or other respiratory diseases this year by donating over 1,000 certified asthma & allergy friendly® toys. Their gift coincided with World Allergy Day, December 4, 2007.
AAFA chose four leading medical centers across the country to donate boxes of plush toys which have been scientifically evaluated and certified asthma & allergy friendly®.
They are:
• Boston’s Children’s Hospital
• Washington D.C.’s Children’s National Medical Center
• Seattle’s Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center
The Foundation chose to donate the toys in recognition of World Allergy Day, which is designated every other year by the World Allergy Organization WAO). The purpose of World Allergy Day is to increase awareness of allergy among consumers and health care professionals. These toys are especially important to children hospitalized for respiratory conditions because they have been certified asthma & allergy friendly® by the Foundation. Through a creative program with the international certification organization, Allergy Standards Limited (ASL), all of the toys have been scientifically tested and proven to be more suitable for people with asthma and allergies.
Toys are just one of the product categories certified by these groups. Others include bedding, vacuum cleaners, flooring, washing machines, paints and more. Consumers can find these toys and other certified asthma & allergy friendly® gifts when shopping for loved ones this holiday season at major retailers such as Build-A-Bear Workshop, Kohl’s, Amazon.com, Home Depot, Best Buy, Bed Bath and Beyond, and many more. For more information about certification, visit www.asthmaandallergyfriendly.com.
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) is a not-for-profit organization of patients serving patients. It is the premier group dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with asthma and allergies through education, advocacy and research. For more asthma and allergy information or support, visit www.aafa.org or call 1-800-7- ASTHMA.