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2009 Project with PennPIRG

Megan DeSmedt, state director of the Pennsylvania Public Interest Research Group (PennPIRG), left, PennPIRG, joins HKQ Kids spokeswoman Attorney Michelle Quinn to discuss holiday toy safety.

   As the 2009 holiday shopping season got under way, HKQ Kids warned shoppers that some of the toys on store shelves could be dangerous.
   To coincide with the start of the holiday shopping season, HKQ Kids partnered with The U.S. Public Interest Research Group (USPIRG) to promote its groundbreaking annual report, “Trouble in Toyland,” which details potential child safety hazards posed by toys on sale this holiday season.
   On Nov. 30, 2009, at the Kingston office of Hourigan, Kluger & Quinn, representatives of HKQ Kids were joined by Megan DeSmedt, State Director of the Pennsylvania Public Interest Research Group (PennPIRG), who discussed the report’s findings and demonstrated how numerous toys now on store shelves could pose safety hazards for children. Coverage of the event was featured in the Times Leader's Dec. 1, 2009, edition, as well as WBRE-TV News. In addition, Attorney Quinn appeared live on WBRE-TV's morning show Dec. 1, 2009, to demonstrate potential dangers posed by specific toys.
   Free copies of the 24th annual “Trouble in Toyland” report, which was released Nov. 24, 2009, are available to the public at the law firm’s office at 600 Third Avenue, Kingston, or by CLICKING HERE. More information can be found on PennPIRG's web site at www.pennpirg.org
   “Every year, USPIRG identifies numerous toys that pose potential safety hazards for children,” said Attorney Michelle Quinn, spokeswoman for HKQ Kids. “We hope that by raising public awareness of the ‘Trouble in Toyland’ report, we can help educate the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania how to avoid potentially dangerous toys.”
   According to the most recent data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, toy-related injuries resulted in more than 82,000 emergency room visits by children under 5 during 2008. A total of 19 children died from toy-related injuries the same year.
   The “Trouble in Toyland” report offers safety guidelines for purchasing toys for small children and provides  examples of toys currently on store shelves that could pose safety hazards. The report focuses on toys that could pose choking hazards, toys with loud noises that could cause hearing damage, and toys that contain toxins and lead.
   HKQ Kids, the Hourigan, Kluger & Quinn Fund for Children’s Advocacy, was founded in 2005 by the law firm of Hourigan, Kluger & Quinn to promote public awareness of issues affecting the safety of children in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and sponsor programs to educate parents, children, educators and the general public about child safety hazards. It is administered by the Luzerne Foundation.

 


2006 Project with Magic 93 and U.S. PIRG

Magic 93 deejay Frankie Warren, left, and HKQ Kids spokeswoman Attorney Michelle Quinn talk about holiday toy safety in a TV campaign during the 2006 holiday season in Northeastern Pennsylvania. 
WATCH TV SPOT (Windows Media Player)

   In 2006, HKQ Kids partnered with Magic 93 FM and its morning deejay Frankie Warren, a longtime advocate for children's causes, to promote HKQ Kids' safety programs. For the 2006 holiday season, Warren and HKQ Kids spokeswoman attorney Michelle Quinn produced a television advertising campaign focusing on the "4 Keys to Holiday Toy Safety" recommended by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. 

They are:

  For children under 3, avoid toys with small parts, which can cause choking.
  Select toys to suit the age, abilities, skills and interest level of the intended child.
  For children under 8, avoid toys with sharp edges and electric toys with heating parts.
  Look for labels with age and safety advice.
  
   In addition to the TV campaign, HKQ Kids and Magic 93 also worked with U.S. PIRG to publicize and distribute copies of its annual groundbreaking report, "Trouble in Toyland." For a copy of the report, CLICK HERE.

NOTE: REPORT NOT RELEASED UNTIL NOV. 22, 2006.

OTHER TOY SAFETY INFORMATION
CPSC 2006 Holiday Toy Safety Campaign
2006 Holiday Toy Safety Neighborhood Safety Network (NSN) Poster
2006 Holiday Toy Safety Spanish Neighborhood Safety Network (NSN) Poster
FY2006 Recalls and Corrective Actions Announced for Toys and Other Children's Products
Toy-Related Deaths and Injuries for 2005


2005 Project with PennPIRG

HKQ spokeswoman Attorney Michelle Quinn, left, and Beth McConnell, state director for PennPIRG, display toys that pose safety risks for children. 

   In November 2005, HKQ Kids brought Beth McConnell, state director for the Pennsylvania Public Interest Research Group (PennPIRG), to Northeastern Pennsylvania to demonstrate how dozens of toys on the shelves for the holiday shopping season could pose dangers to children.
   Every year, PennPIRG issues a comprehensive report, "Trouble in Toyland," which details potential safety threats posed by dozens of toys on the market. The 2005 edition marked the organization's 20th annual "Trouble in Toyland" report.
   During a news conference Nov. 23, 2005, at the law offices of Hourigan, Kluger & Quinn in Kingston, Ms. McConnell demonstrated for members of the media how a variety of toys can pose risks of choking or strangulation, how some toys could be toxic, how some can cause hearing damage and how others can act as projectiles, among other things. She also conducted interviews with area TV and radio personalities to talk about PennPIRG's annual findings.
   FOR A COMPLETE COPY OF "TROUBLE IN TOYLAND," which details all the potential dangers of toys on the shelves this holiday shopping season, CLICK HERE.

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