TODAY's holiday gift drive raises $25.5 million

For the past 14 years, NBC News' TODAY has been spreading holiday cheer to millions of underprivileged children and families with its annual Toy Drive. This year, thanks to the generosity of countless TODAY viewers and corporate donors, TODAY reached a landmark total of $175 million in toys and gifts for the entire 14-year run of the drive.

For the 2007 Toy Drive, TODAY viewers, TODAYshow.com visitors and corporate contributors provided $25.5 million worth of toys, books, games, clothing, toiletries, electronics, school supplies, gift certificates and other suitable gifts to more than four million children via 203 organizations in all 50 states. The Toy Drive reached some of the nation's largest charity groups including the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and National Head Start, as well as some of the smallest charities including the Bitteroot Valley Education Cooperative, which helps 11 children in Victor, MT. TODAY is the first morning show to dedicate air time to a toy drive for the sole purpose of promoting charitable giving during the holiday season.

The Toy Drive is now a Rockefeller Center tradition. Surprise celebrities visit the crowd each morning to gather up their donations. This holiday season, Susan Lucci, Taylor Swift, Jordin Sparks, Kelly Rowland, Kevin Bacon, Fantasia and many others donned a Santa hat and collected more than 1,500 toys and gifts on the Plaza. Among those who came to help in past years have been George Clooney, Hillary Swank, Jim Carrey, Sarah Jessica Parker, Bonnie Hunt, Jack Black, Dermot Mulroney, Edie Falco, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Brown, Ashanti, Paula Abdul, Rick Springfield, Sting, LL Cool J, Chris Isaak, Harry Connick, Jr., Martin Sheen, Julie Andrews, Lynn Redgrave, NY Mets manager Willie Randolph, Robin Williams, NY Yankees Alex Rodriguez and Joe Torre, Henry Kissinger, Yogi Berra, Mister Rogers, Joe Perry from Aerosmith, Susan Lucci, Molly Shannon, Donald Trump, Jimmy Smits, Phylicia Rashad, LeAnn Rimes, NASCAR'S Kurt Busch and Jimmy Buffett.

The TODAY Toy Drive began in 1994, and in its first year collected 1100 toys that were distributed to seven participating organizations. In the years since, thanks to the generosity of viewers, studio visitors and corporate partners, the program has grown exponentially. The TODAY Toy Drive is a project of the TODAY Charitable Foundation, Inc., a 501c3 non-profit organization. All donations are tax deductible to the extent the law allows.

Jim Bell is the executive producer of TODAY (Monday-Friday, 7-11 a.m.). Antoinette Machiaverna is the producer of the TODAY Toy Drive and Sam Sagenkahn is the project director.

2007 DONORS Our sincere thanks go to the following organizations for their generous contributions: Kohl's Department Store (www.kohls.com), Mary Kay (www.marykay.com), PartyLite Gifts (www.partylite.com), DK Publishing (www.dk.com), Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc (www.britannica.com), Jakks Pacific, Inc. (www.jakkspacific.com), Quixtar (Alticor) (www.quixtar.com), Microsoft (www.microsoft.com), Build-A-Bear (www.buildabear.com), Latasia (www.latasia.com), K'nex (www.knex.com), Cheerios (www.cheerios.com), Manhattan Toy (www.manhattantoy.com), Cookie Lee (www.cookielee.com), Rounder Records (www.rounder.com), Charmin (www.charmin.com), Udderly Smooth (www.udderlysmooth.com), Stride Rite (www.striderite.com), Imagination (www.imaginationgames.com), Hooked on Phonics (www.hooked-on-phonics.com), Direct Selling Association (www.dsa.com), Ty, Inc. (www.ty.com), Ugly Dolls/Pretty Ugly, LLC (www.uglydolls.com), Jockey Person to Person (www.jockeypersontoperson.com), Little Brown Books for Young Readers (www.lb-kids.com), Kid Galaxy, Inc. (www.kidgalaxy.com), Tupperware (www.tupperware.com), World Book (www.worldbook.com), Pampers (www.pampers.com), Mattel (www.mattel.com), Home Interiors & Gifts (www.homeinteriors.com), Aeropostale (www.aeropostale.com), Goody (www.goody.com), Avon (www.avon.com), Sanrio (www.sanrio.com), Traveling Bear (www.travelingbear.com), 4Life (www.4life.com), Hasbro (www.hasbro.com), JCPenney (www.jcpenney.com), Amazon.com (www.amazon.com), Sara Lee Inc. (www.saralee.com), Swiss Colony Occasions (www.swisscolonyoccasions.com), The Learning Journey (www.thelearningjourney.com), Fisher-Price (www.fisher-price.com), Tonner Doll Company (www.tonnerdoll.com), Zales (www.zales.com), Essential Bodywear (www.essentialbodywear.com), Lia Sophia (www.liasophia.com), Crest Whitestrips (www.whitestrips.com), Freddie Mac (www.freddiemac.com), Kay Jewelers (www.kay.com), Shaklee (www.shaklee.com), New Line Cinema (www.newline.com), The Southwestern Company (www.southwestern.com), LEGO Systems (www.lego.com), Pepsi Cola Company (www.pepsi.com), TFA In-Home (www.franceluxe.com), The Adventures of Thumbs up Johnnie (www.thumbsupjohnnie.com), Lavinia's World (www.laviniasworld.com), American Express (www.americanexpress.com), Buffalo Games (www.buffalogames.com), MasterCard (www.mastercard.com), Thirty One Gifts (www.thirtyonegifts.com), The United States Playing Card Company (www.usplayingcard.com), Razor & Tie Entertainment (www.myspace.com/alvinandthechipmunkssoundtrack), Signature Homestyles (www.signaturehomestyles.com), The Pampered Chef (www.pamperedchef.com), Arbonne (www.arbonne.com), Freelife International (www.freelife.com), High IntenCity (www.highintencity.com), Nature's Sunshine (www.naturessunshine.com), Cutco/Vector (www.cutco.com), United Media (www.unitedmedia.com), LEGOLAND California and Jumeirah Essex House (www.legoland.com and www.jumeirahessexhouse.com), Nuskin (www.nuskin.com), Stampin' Up (www.stampinup.com), Earth's Elements (www.earthselements.biz), Prestige Toy (www.prestigetoy.com), Tastefully Simple (www.tastefullysimple.com), Tahitian Noni (www.tni.com), AFLAC (www.aflac.com), Big Apple Circus (www.bigapplecircus.org), Tanner Companies (www.doncaster.com), Xango (www.xango.com), Oxyfresh (www.oxyfresh.com), TJ Maxx (www.tjmaxx.com), Longaberger (www.longaberger.com), Demarle at Home (www.demarleathome.com), Aqua-Leisure Industries (www.aqualeisure.com), Leapfrog (www.leapfrog.com), Southern Living at Home (www.southernlivingathome.com), AuraStella (www.aurastella.com), Brash Entertainment (www.brashent.com), TARRAH Cosmetics (www.tarrah.com), Lunch Table Inc. (www.proclaimgame.com), Vantel Pearls In The Oyster (www.vantelpearls.com), Detech (www.detech.com), McGraw-Hill Companies (www.mcgraw-hill.com), Butterfly Boutique (www.butterflyboutique.com), Reader's Digest (www.readersdigest.com), All Dazzle (www.alldazzle.com), Baby Crazy (www.babycrazy.com), L'Bel (www.lbel.com), Gems to Jewels (www.gemstojewels.com), Luxe Jewels (www.luxejewels.com), The Happy Gardener (www.thehappygardener.info), Advocare (www.advocare.com), Cedar Valley Publishing (www.cedarvalleypublishing.com), Susan Ross, Michele Baratta atHome (www.shopmichele.com), NSA, Udesign (www.udesignjewelry.com), Briarpatch (www.briarpatch.com), Dechaut Sheer Minerals Makeup (www.healthymineralmakeup.com), The Mr. Men Show (www.mrmen.com ), Cranium (www.cranium.com), Baby Splendor (www.babysplendor.com), Coin USA, Back Creek Rocking Horse (www.rockinghorseusa.com), Illumin (www.illumin.com).

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