Question: What is the Becker & Poliakoff Helping Hands Toy Drive?

Answer: The ‘Becker & Poliakoff Helping Hands Holiday Toy Drive has distributed toys and gifts each year since 2000 to children and teenagers undergoing treatment for neuroblastoma, other cancers and terminal illnesses at South Florida pediatric hospitals, as well as foster care and other needy children.

Question: Who is behind the Becker & Poliakoff Helping Hands Toy Drive?

Answer: The ‘Helping Hands Holiday Toy Drive’ was launched in 2000 by South Florida residents Lee and Gina Weintraub after their eight-month old daughter, Morgan, was diagnosed with retinablastoma, a cancer in the eye.

Question: Why did the Weintraubs start the Becker & Poliakoff Helping Hands Toy Drive?

Answer: After Morgan’s successful treatment at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and Miami’s Jackson Memorial Hospital, the Weintraubs felt compelled to give back to the hospital and to other children being treated there. The Weintraubs experienced first-hand the grief and pain felt by children and their families, as well as the relief and happiness felt when random acts of kindness were shared with them.

Question: What is the role of the law firm Becker & Poliakoff in the toy drive?

Answer: Lee, an attorney with the law firm of Becker & Poliakoff, and Gina, a middle school teacher, began to solicit donations and toys from Lee’s colleagues at Becker & Poliakoff and from generous individuals and organizations within the community. With the help of the Becker & Poliakoff team, the Holiday Toy Drive has grown year-on-year as Santa Claus, his elves and some special cartoon-character guests (played by the B&P attorneys and staffers) visit the hospitals and clinics distributing toys, electronics, and a lot of laughs and smiles captured in Polaroid photos with Santa given to each child as a keepsake.

Question: When is to the toy drive held?

Answer: The toy drive is held annually in December with other toy deliveries occurring at other times throughout the year. The Becker and Poliakoff team begins collecting donations and soliciting commitments from local toy retailers for discounts or special access before or after regular hours in October and early December.

Question: How does the toy drive work?

Answer: Toy and game donations are made by contributors from all over South Florida. All financial contributions are used to purchase additional gifts. Donations and discounts from toy retailers are also accepted and appreciated.

Question: How much of the money raised goes to administrative costs vs. purchase of toys?

Answer: 99.9% of the funds raised go toward purchase of toys and gifts for the children; less than 1 percent goes toward promotional efforts to encourage donations. Zero percent of the donations go towards administrative costs or overhead as all participants give of their time freely. Additional costs for transportation and etc. are born by the Weintraubs themselves and the other volunteer participants in the toy drive.

Question: To whom are toys delivered?

Answer: Toys are delivered to children at Jackson Memorial Hospital, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Broward General Medical Center and other pediatric cancer centers during the days leading up to the Winter Holidays. The Weintraubs have also included deliveries to homeless and other needy children in South Florida. Occasionally, other organizations and destinations are included.

Question: How many toys are distributed?

What began with a modest handful of stuffed animals, coloring books and crayons, has grown into large-scale donations including DVD and MP3 players, video games and collectible toys and dolls. In 2007, the amount of cash and in-kind donations of toys nearly tripled, with well over 500 high-quality toys personally delivered to more than 350 children at Broward General Hospital, Broward Children's Care, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and Jackson Memorial Hospital.

Question: Who benefits from the Toy Drive?

Answer: Everyone involved benefits from giving! From pediatric hospital patients and their families to foster children to the volunteers who participate, Helping Hands benefits everyone who is involved. Even the hospital staff is overjoyed by the good spirit and generosity of the experience.

Question: How can people get involved?

Answer: The Weintraubs and their extended Becker & Poliakoff family appreciate all help from the community to make this year’s Helping Hands Holiday Toy Drive a great success.

Tax-deductible monetary donations can be made by individuals or businesses to “Becker & Poliakoff Helping Hands, Inc.” a public charity under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Potential donors can call 954-364-6075 for more information.

Retail locations can help by opening their doors before or after regular store hours, by offering a discount on Helping Hands gift purchases or by allotting specific toys for purchase to the Helping Hands cause.