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Toy suit plays Santa for low-income kids Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Salvation Army Capt. Lisa VanCleef sorts through $26,000 worth of toys donated by Toys "R" Us as part of the settlement in a class-action lawsuit. The toys will join other donations as gifts for the area's low-income children. By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune A class-action lawsuit is no substitute for Santa Claus, but at the Salvation Army in Medford, a penalty donation of nearly $26,000 in name-brand toys might as well be from the jolly old elf. Capt. Lisa VanCleef was unpacking dozen of boxes of Polly Pockets, Dream Wedding Barbies and electronic dart boards Thursday, all courtesy of Toys "R" Us and toy makers Mattel, Hasbro and The Little Tykes Co. "It will make a huge difference for local families this Christmas in that we have toys that we won't have to buy," said VanCleef. The playthings are part of Oregon's final share of a $50 million national legal settlement with the retail giant, state Attorney General Hardy Myers said in a statement Tuesday. Ten Oregon counties will receive $108,785 in toys this year, part of more than $389,000 in toys and $150,000 in cash distributed over the past four years. Locally, the Salvation Army in Grants Pass also received nearly $11,000 in toys. Oregon was part of national multi-state antitrust settlements stemming from a 1997 lawsuit alleging that the retailers and the toymakers conspired for more than a decade to withhold popular toys from warehouse clubs that undercut Toys "R" Us prices, Myers said. As a result of that illegal arrangement, warehouse clubs could not compete and consumers paid more for toys. All that was news to VanCleef. "All I knew was that it was a class-action suit," she said. "The Justice Department just called me this summer and they said you'll be able to come and pick up these toys." The dolls and games and skateboards and stuffed animals will join other donations for the Salvation Army's annual "toy store," Dec. 20-21, which allows low-income parents to select gifts for their kids. An estimated 1,000 families are expected to benefit from the program this year. VanCleef's goal is for each child to receive one toy, one educational item and a stocking stuffer. With the toy windfall, she'll be able to give each child a stuffed plush animal as well. "I think we have more fun sorting the toys than the kids do on Christmas morning," VanCleef said. The settlement will go a long way to fulfilling Christmas wishes, but VanCleef stressed that donations are still needed. Last year, the agency spent about $12,000 to buy toys. With the toy settlement, that amount will be less, but the nonprofit group aims to supply 2,000 to 3,000 children. "We're always short of toys for kids under age 2 and over 13," VanCleef said. In addition, the Salvation Army has joined this year in a new collaboration with ACCESS Inc., Community Works and other area nonprofits to ensure smooth distribution of toys and food. So far, the collaboration has inspired donations from agencies and individuals who welcome a coordinated process that guards against multiple requests from the same people, she said. Educational items - books, puzzles, art supplies - are especially welcome, VanCleef said. "My goal is to give them Christmas but also to break the cycle," she said. "I don't want them to come back in 20 years with their kids." For more information, contact the Salvation Army at 773-6965. Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.