Toy Express

During the holiday season, we help first responders spread joy to children in need.

Our Toy Express program helps local first responders brighten a child’s holiday, strengthening community bonds.

We are no longer taking applications for the 2023 Toy Express. Sign up below to be notified when our 2024 Toy Express season begins!

PLEASE NOTE: The deadline for the CSX Toy Express application has passed.

Details

Over the past few decades, first responders and the communities they serve have lost their common connection. Children are literally the future of any community, and therefore building positive relationships between youth and first responders is more important than ever to the safety and vitality of towns and cities across America. They do not realize just how important these brave men and women are to their communities—that they are the everyday superheroes among us, here to ensure our safety.

The holiday season is a natural opportunity for first responders to forge strong bonds with the community, particularly in underserved areas.

“Thank you Toy Express! For the third year this program has brought a smile to hundreds of children but has also warmed the hearts of the police, firefighters and EMTs that helped distribute the toys.”

New York Police Chief

The First Responders Children’s Foundation’s Toy Express will deliver more than 100,000 holiday toys to over 200 cities across the nation! First responder agencies and hospitals then distribute the holiday cheer to children of first responders and to children in first responder communities.  This is the Foundation’s way of saying “happy holidays” and “thank you” to the heroic first responders who show up when we dial 9-1-1.

These gift donations are made possible by FRCF’s generous corporate partners CSX, Spin Master, Sago Mini, Mattel, Under Armour, Jazwares, SERVPRO, SB Projects, NSI, BitOGenius and Good360. Transportation of these gifts to New York City and around the country has been donated by the transportation, freight shipping and logistics experts at Schneider.

FRCF helps first responders make those connections with our nationwide Toy Express program, which delivers toys to children during the holidays. Distributed by firefighters, police officers, EMTs, paramedics and hospitals, toys from FRCF bring holiday cheer to first
responder children as well as children in first responder communities. It’s also a time of joy for the first responders themselves. Our distribution events provide first responders an opportunity to bring joy into communities, and gives them a much-needed reprieve from the daily stress and trauma that comes with the job.

FRCF makes an extra effort to add a personal touch for children who recently lost a first responder parent in the line of duty. Our elves create a personalized box of toys for each of these children, and we team up with local agencies to deliver a box to each family’s home.

You can join us and send toys by clicking the red button or by texting TOY to 24365.

Track the Toy Express!

Locations

Arrived

On The Way

Event Photos

Media Information

2021 Toy Collection Events

2021 Toy Distribution Events

Behind the Scenes

The success of our programs is only possible because of the generous support of many donors like you.