Local Society Of Plastics Engineers Nears 1M Toys Donated

By Edward Cardenas

WALLED LAKE (CBS Detroit) - Officials with the Detroit Section Society of Plastics Engineers stated Friday that over the past 15 years it has donated nearly 1 million toys to local agencies for Christmas deliveries.

The announcement came during a recognition event at American Plastic Toys, Inc., headquarters in Walled Lake where companies who took part in this year's donation of more than 33,000 toys to the United Way and the Detroit Police and WWJ's Sergeant Santa program.

"When you look at these numbers, they are huge," said Sassan Tarahomi, president of the Detroit Section Society of Plastics Engineers, who recognized the hard work and donations of materials and time by their partners. "It is a tremendous amount of work and everybody is working toward this goal to donate all these toys. It doesn't happen easily."

The toy trucks given out this year where produced at American Plastic Toys' Rose City production facility with 12,000 pounds of plastic donated by Chevron Phillips, labels provided by Maple Press and transportation of the toys by E.L. Hollingsworth and Company.

Toys donated by the SPE were distributed to children in the Lansing and Detroit area. The 10,000 toy trucks donated to the Sergeant Santa program augmented a number of gifts that were distributes to families in need in Detroit.

"It is fun to see it from top to bottom," said John W. Gessert, president and CEO of American Plastic Toys. "It is a huge impact."