Announcement
BLAIR CARES
- Become a sponsor by donating goods and services to the event!
- Donate to our silent auction! – i.e. gift cards, baskets, goods & services
- Donate approved items to Dr. Bear’s Closet!
- Donate to children’s National Medical Center!
- Attend our event! Enjoy great food and fun!
For more information and participation, please contact Valerie Harris at vharris@blairinc.com or Kelly Frazier at kfrazier@blairinc.com.
Thank you for your interest in the BlairCARES community outreach program. We greatly appreciate your support and donation!
BlairCARES is a volunteer program composed of Blair, Inc. employees! Our mission is to find community outreach projects that we are passionate about and can collectively provide support.
This year, BlairCARES has selected Children's National Medical Center as the recipient of both monetary support and donations to Dr. Bear's closet. In an effort to raise funds and celebrate the holidays, we are hosting a 2-day Holiday Workshop event inclusive of silent auction, pictures with Santa, and toy making activity. We invite you to join us for great food, great music, and great fun! Festivity admission to our facility is free.
Your company can help us by providing donations of goods and services to our silent auction, assisting with our Dr. Bear's Closet drive, or simply attending to celebrate!
Every day, a deck of cards, a doll or a stuffed animal puts a smile on the face of a child who hasn't smiled in quite some time. Dr. Bear's Closet has donated toys, games, books and other items that help boost the spirits of patients of all ages. A well-stocked Dr. Bear Closet ensures that every patient has a gift for holidays, birthdays, and most importantly, a little something to serve as a reward for their courage in fighting an illness.
The Closet provides items to thousands of patients who are treated in Children's inpatient units, the Emergency Department, our Regional Outpatient Centers, and the Health Centers. Toys also help stock playrooms in the hospital.
Playing is essential when a child is undergoing difficult treatment or procedures due to illness. Providing a new game or toy and watching a smile light up a child's face is a special moment for families, staff and volunteers.
A list of donation guidelines for Dr. Bear's Closet is included in this packet. Children's Volunteer Services Department accepts all donations, including monetary contributions, gift cards and certificates from area stores. Checks should be made payable to "Children's National Medical Center - Dr. Bear's Closet."
Donation Guidelines:
All donations must follow these guidelines:
- Any donated toys, stuffed animals or clothes must be BRAND NEW because of the hospital's infection control requirements.
- We are able to accept gently used book s, magazines, and DVDs.
- All toys should meet Consumer Product Safety Codes. The package will tell you if the toy meets the codes.
- Latex (or rubber) balloons are not allowed in the hospital because of latex allergy precautions and other safety factors.
- Due to fire regulations we cannot accept any spark-producing toys.
- Toys should be sturdy. Avoid toys that can break or have sharp edges. No toys should be made of glass or brittle plastic.
- Any toy or craft kit with glue or markers must contain only non-toxic materials. The package should indicate that materials are non-toxic.
- We cannot accept items with violent, frightening, or adult-rated themes.
- Donations of food are gratefully accepted from commercial kitchens; we are unable to accept homemade items for families or staff.
- Because many of our patients are Spanish-speaking, games, videos and books in Spanish are always needed.
- Please refrain from gift wrapping donations.
Where do I send my donation?
Please send ALL donations to:
Attn BlairCARES
Blair Inc.
7001 Loisdale Rd
Springfield, VA 22150
What can I donate?
The following is a wish list that was compiled by patients, families, Child Life Specialists, other staff members and hospital volunteers. Items that appear in bold print represent our most frequently requested items.
Additionally, phone cards and gift cards to stores like Target, Toys R Us, and Wal-Mart prove very useful.
**Please be advised we cannot accept recalled toys or games. For a list of recalled items please go to www.cpsc.gov
Infants
| Music Boxes and interactive toys | Activity Centers | Crib mobiles (that can be wiped down) | Teething toys |
| Cribside motion/musical toys | Bouncy Seats | Baby blankets | Infant videos |
| Infant mirrors | Soft/squeeze toys | Pop-up toys | Stuffed toys |
| Rattles | Baby books | Play telephones | Infant toys |
Toddlers
| Bubbles | Musical books | Board books | Medical kits |
| Wooden Puzzles | Stack Toys | Plastic Trucks | Duplo building blocks |
| Toy tape players | Blocks | Push/pull toys | Stuffed toys |
| Sesame Street and other popular character toys | Dolls, diversity is appreciated in doll selection | Little People, such as those made by Fisher Price and Little Tykes | Fisher Price doll house, people, furniture, and accessories |
School Age
| Matchbox cars | UNO cards | Stickers!!! | Play–Doh (Must be Gluten Free) |
| Thomas and friends UNO Cards | Coloring books, activity books and word finds | Crayons/markers/colored pencils | Gimp |
| Barbie Dolls and clothing | Monopoly Jr. | Scrable Jr. | Boggle Jr. |
| Wall-mount basketball hoops | Scattegories | Handheld electronic games | Books |
| Candy Land | Notebook dividers | Legos/Lego model sets | Stuffed animals |
| DVDs, G and PG rated | Bead kits/ and art kits | Magna Doodles | Etch-A-Sketch |
| School supplies | Checkers | Paint sets, non-toxic | Action figures |
| Memory | Connect Four | Construction paper | Playing cards |
| Disney character items | Model kits, snap tight | Construction paper | Playing cards |
Adolescent
| Hand held electronic games | Wii, Wii fit items | UNO cards, all versions | Word search |
| Earrings, necklaces for girls | Hats, scarves, gloves | AA batteries | Gift cards |
| Hangman | Battleship | Chess and Checkers | DVDs, PG and PG-13 |
| Portable CD players with CDs | Stationery | Movie theatre gift cards | Art sets |
| Model kits, snap tight | Scrapbook materials | Diaries/journals | Barbie dolls and clothing |
| Make-up sets | Manicure kits | Baseball caps | Clue |
| Books and magazines | Bicycle helmets | Nerf balls | Jenga |
| Monopoly | Footballs, soccer balls, baseball items, wall-mount basketball hoops | Grooming kits (girls/boys) | Remote control cars |
Dream Gifts
| Digital Cameras | Digital video cameras | Digital watches | Sewing machines |
| Nintendo DS systems and games | Crib side mobiles | Video game systems ( Xbox, PS3, Wii, PSP) | Polaroid instant digital cameras |
| Portable DVD Players | Ipods & Itunes gift cards |
Monetary Donations:
Children's National Volunteer Services team accepts monetary donations that are used for the extraordinary needs which are not part of the operational budget. These items include:
- Hotel stays for families
- Support of two corporate apartments for out-of-town families (Dr. Bear's Den)
- Parking stickers for visiting families
- Transportation to and from the hospital for visiting families
- Re-stocking of Dr. Bear's Closet with toys, clothing, electronics, etc. when needed
Checks should be made payable to "Children's National Medical Center - Dr. Bear's Closet."
Online Toy Donation Options:
Concierge Closet Needs:
- Personal Care Kits (toothbrush & toothpaste, small shampoo/conditioner, small hairbrushes and combs, shave cream, razors, soap, and hand lotion.)
- Jewelry repair kit
- Phone cards
- New clothes and undergarments for children and adults – all sizes.
- Magazine and newspaper subscriptions
- Brand new blankets and hats
- Gift Certificates to Target, Costco, Wal-Mart, Kohl's, Giant, Safeway, gas stations, and other area retail stores and restaurants.