Tenth Annual NYHQ FreeMAT Toy Drive Collects More Than 500 Gifts for Children of U.S. Military

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Tenth Annual NYHQ FreeMAT Toy Drive Collects More Than
                 500 Gifts for Children of U.S. Military

PHOTO RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Allison Fleming
alf9034@nyp.org, (718) 670-2374

Heather Carman
hec9033@nyp.org, (718) 670-2744

Flushing, N.Y., December 18, 2012 – The Freedom Medical Aid Team (FreeMAT) of New York Hospital Queens (NYHQ) collected more than 500 toys to distribute to children of deployed military personnel from Fort Totten in Queens and from other local reserve bases in the region. Many who are currently stationed in Afghanistan. This is the tenth consecutive year that FreeMAT has organized the toy drive. Since the drive began in 2002, more than 13,000 toys have been distributed to children.

Brigadier General Douglas R. Satterfield and other U.S Army representatives visited NYHQ to accept these gifts on behalf of their colleagues. This year, FreeMAT partnered with New York City Comptroller John Liu, local schools, Community Bd. #7, Senators Toby Stavisky and Tony Avella, Congresswoman-elect Grace Meng, Assembly Members Rory Lancman and Edward Braunstein, Council Members Peter Koo and Dan Halloran, and the Bayside-Whitestone Lions Club to gather donations.

For more information on New York Hospital Queens, visit www.nyhq.org. New York Hospital Queens is a member of the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System and affiliated with the Weill Medical College of Cornell University.                                                                    

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Elected officials, members of New York Hospital Queens administration, and community leaders gathered with U.S. Army representatives and Brigadier General Douglas R. Satterfield (sixth from left) at a presentation of more than 500 donated toys collected by the Freedom Medical Aid Team for children of deployed military personnel.