It's the time of year when New Yorkers will donate a toy or two to a child in need. But what about donating every toy in a store? NY1's Michael Scotto tells us about a woman who has done just that.
Every year, Carol Suchman donates toys to some of the city's poorest children.
So when she walked by this shuttered toy and stationery store in the West Village with a for rent sign in the window, she had an idea.
"When I saw this toy store, I just realized I could do it on a grander scale," Suchman said.
She contacted the owner of Hudson Party Store and proposed buying everything inside.
"We talked and negotiated and bought the entire toy store," she said.
By store, she means thousands of toys and stuffed animals, and boxes of school supplies too.
She bagged it all up and donated it to the city's Department of Homeless Services — just in time for the holidays.
"I've been doing this for many years and we have many generous sponsors — people do toy drives and do a lot of giving — but I have to say, that this is the first time anybody ever bought out an entire store and donated to the children of shelters," said Antonio Rodriquez, director of special events at DHS.
Suchman says she usually donates hundreds of toys each year to give as birthday gifts to foster kids in Brooklyn.
The West Village philanthropist has the means to do it — she and her husband once owned a successful technology company.
"Children is always my focus," she said. "So that's why, a lot of foster kids get a lot of used things and I realized a lot of them never had a birthday gift that they actually wanted."
But thanks to Suchman's toy buying spree thousands of homeless children in the city will have at least one present to open.
"I know everyone can use a gift around the holidays."