Grace College Students Tally Toys For Tots Donations
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Staff Report-
Each year since 2004, Lesko has written a statistical report for the foundation to estimate the value of donated toys throughout the United States. The report provides the Toys for Tots Foundation with the value of toys that the foundation includes in its annual report. Usually, the Toys for Tots Foundation collects approximately $150 million in toys nationally each year.
This year, the Toys for Tots Foundation asked Lesko to use samples from stores in his statistical report. Lesko hired 24 Grace College students to go to 24 cities to collect information about donations at stores and other toy drop-off sites. The students documented prices and photographed the toys in late November.
Lesko teamed up with Dr. Thomas Prinsen, chair of Grace College's Department of Communication and professor of communication, to interview and hire the students to participate in the project.
The project, Lesko said, is win-win. Students have a large-scale marketing and statistics project to add to their resumés and are paid for their efforts. Grace College provides a valuable service to the Toys for Tots Foundation. The project helps the Department of Communication meet the internship/work experience requirements for a grant from the Lilly Foundation. And, the Toys for Tots Foundation will have an accurate value of toys to include in its report.[[In-content Ad]]Lt. Gen. Pete Osman, president and CEO of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, and Maj. Brian Murray, vice president of operations for the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, requested the work for the report. The students went through orientation in October and November, highlighted by a visit from Murray with the group at Warsaw's Ramada Plaza, where he addressed the students about the importance of the work for the Toys for Tots Foundation.
In previous years, Lesko received hundreds of photographs of toys at collection centers across the country from the Toys for Tots Foundation and would have two weeks to hire five to 10 students to help take a sample of toys from the photographs, identify these toys, and price them.
Chris Thifault, a toy distributor and supplier for Toys for Tots Foundation in Indianapolis and a Grace College alumnus, also helped with the project. Lesko, along with his helpers, would price each toy through the Internet and stores located in Warsaw, Fort Wayne and Indianapolis. From this data, he would write his report.
"The sampling method this year is superior in that the Toys for Tots Foundation will get a more accurate estimate (and smaller margin of error)," Lesko said. "The size of the project this year speaks to the trust that they have placed in us to carry out a major sampling effort at the cost of many thousands of dollars."
Lesko hopes to continue this project for years to come.
After they returned from Thanksgiving break, the students submitted their data to Lesko, who will determine the final toy value and submit his report to the Toys for Tots Foundation by the end of December.
Students conducting the research during their Thanksgiving break were: Nathan Bates, Johnstown, Pa.; Kelly Bolt, Lexington, Ky.; LeAnne Bundenthal, Dayton, Ohio; Jonathan Clydesdale, Denison, Texas; Austin Copenhaver, Kennewick, Wash.; Emily Darrough, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii; Alexandra Deyoe, Indianapolis; Kay Fenters, Lima, Ohio; Heather Harris, Janesville, Wis; Brett Hartsell, Benton Harbor, Mich.; Daniel Hopkins, Rockford, Ill.; Melissa Jones, Flint, Mich.; Tim Keaton, Terre Haute; Kimberly Kim, Pico Rivera, Calif.; Paul Kinsey, Festus, Mo.; Jon McDillon, Chicago Heights, Ill.; Lorena Moreno, Richmond, Va.; Megan Okerson, San Diego, Calif.; Connie Okupski, Buffalo, N.Y.; Amos Orr, South Bend; Caleb Roth, Grand Rapids, Mich.; Samuel Roth, Albuquerque, N.M.; Julie Shearer, Hummelstown, Pa.; and Bethany Stanfill, Canton, Ohio.
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Each year since 2004, Lesko has written a statistical report for the foundation to estimate the value of donated toys throughout the United States. The report provides the Toys for Tots Foundation with the value of toys that the foundation includes in its annual report. Usually, the Toys for Tots Foundation collects approximately $150 million in toys nationally each year.
This year, the Toys for Tots Foundation asked Lesko to use samples from stores in his statistical report. Lesko hired 24 Grace College students to go to 24 cities to collect information about donations at stores and other toy drop-off sites. The students documented prices and photographed the toys in late November.
Lesko teamed up with Dr. Thomas Prinsen, chair of Grace College's Department of Communication and professor of communication, to interview and hire the students to participate in the project.
The project, Lesko said, is win-win. Students have a large-scale marketing and statistics project to add to their resumés and are paid for their efforts. Grace College provides a valuable service to the Toys for Tots Foundation. The project helps the Department of Communication meet the internship/work experience requirements for a grant from the Lilly Foundation. And, the Toys for Tots Foundation will have an accurate value of toys to include in its report.[[In-content Ad]]Lt. Gen. Pete Osman, president and CEO of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, and Maj. Brian Murray, vice president of operations for the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, requested the work for the report. The students went through orientation in October and November, highlighted by a visit from Murray with the group at Warsaw's Ramada Plaza, where he addressed the students about the importance of the work for the Toys for Tots Foundation.
In previous years, Lesko received hundreds of photographs of toys at collection centers across the country from the Toys for Tots Foundation and would have two weeks to hire five to 10 students to help take a sample of toys from the photographs, identify these toys, and price them.
Chris Thifault, a toy distributor and supplier for Toys for Tots Foundation in Indianapolis and a Grace College alumnus, also helped with the project. Lesko, along with his helpers, would price each toy through the Internet and stores located in Warsaw, Fort Wayne and Indianapolis. From this data, he would write his report.
"The sampling method this year is superior in that the Toys for Tots Foundation will get a more accurate estimate (and smaller margin of error)," Lesko said. "The size of the project this year speaks to the trust that they have placed in us to carry out a major sampling effort at the cost of many thousands of dollars."
Lesko hopes to continue this project for years to come.
After they returned from Thanksgiving break, the students submitted their data to Lesko, who will determine the final toy value and submit his report to the Toys for Tots Foundation by the end of December.
Students conducting the research during their Thanksgiving break were: Nathan Bates, Johnstown, Pa.; Kelly Bolt, Lexington, Ky.; LeAnne Bundenthal, Dayton, Ohio; Jonathan Clydesdale, Denison, Texas; Austin Copenhaver, Kennewick, Wash.; Emily Darrough, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii; Alexandra Deyoe, Indianapolis; Kay Fenters, Lima, Ohio; Heather Harris, Janesville, Wis; Brett Hartsell, Benton Harbor, Mich.; Daniel Hopkins, Rockford, Ill.; Melissa Jones, Flint, Mich.; Tim Keaton, Terre Haute; Kimberly Kim, Pico Rivera, Calif.; Paul Kinsey, Festus, Mo.; Jon McDillon, Chicago Heights, Ill.; Lorena Moreno, Richmond, Va.; Megan Okerson, San Diego, Calif.; Connie Okupski, Buffalo, N.Y.; Amos Orr, South Bend; Caleb Roth, Grand Rapids, Mich.; Samuel Roth, Albuquerque, N.M.; Julie Shearer, Hummelstown, Pa.; and Bethany Stanfill, Canton, Ohio.
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