Last Updated: April 26, 2024!
The Wink Alliance Gives $12,500 to The Baby Fold!
The fun check was presented on April 24, 2024!
A Brief History!
Named for our famous shop dog Wink, the Wink Alliance is the official giving arm of Gingerbread House Toys!
We love giving back to the community by partnering with organizations that help kids! But rather than spread our giving too thin among dozens of causes, The Wink Alliance strategy is to select one local non-profit every year, rally around their mission, and become their "ally" by creating and selling limited edition, co-branded Wink collectibles during the holiday season! We then use all the proceeds to give them one giant, impactful donation!
Since our inaugural campaign in 2020, you’ve now helped us give $51,250 in combined donations to Lifelong Access (formerly Marcfirst), the Child Protection Network, Special Olympics Illinois, and The Baby Fold!
Our 2023 Partner was The Baby Fold!
The Wink Alliance gives $12,500!
On Wednesday, April 24, 2024, Baby Fold President and CEO Clete Winkelmann and Vice President of Development and Public Relations Sam Guillory stopped by the toy store to spend time with Wink and Gingerbread House Toys Owner Kate Greene, while accepting a colorful donation check for $12,500 from the Wink Alliance!
The 2023 Wink “stuffies” were custom-designed by Stuffed Animal Pros, a member of the Budsies family of brands based in south Florida. A total of 500 were produced, and at $25 each, they sold out during the 2023 holiday season!
The 2023 Wink Stuffies were the Best Yet!
And you helped us make a huge donation to The Baby Fold by selling them all out!
The stuffies were sooo soft, super cute, and Wink kept warm with a Baby Fold bandana around his collar! Best of all, in a Jellycat-style, he was flexible and relaxed so he could stretch out and lay down…just like the real Wink!
Check out our fun, original announcement video below!
Thanks to everyone who helped make the 4th Wink Alliance an incredible success!
Previous Alliances!
2022: Special Olympics Illinois
The Wink Alliance Gave $12,500!
FUN news! 2022's Wink Alliance kicked-off during our 50th Anniversary, and throughout the rest of the year, you came through in a big way! Because of your awesome generosity & support, the custom-designed Wink tins of Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putty raised $12,500 for Special Olympics Illinois!
It was an honor to present this BIG check to the athletes themselves! Thank you from Wink and all of us at Gingerbread House Toys for helping make our community a better place! You've now helped us donate almost $39,000 in the last 3 years!
2021: Child Protection Network
The Wink Alliance gives $12,500!
For the 2021 holiday season, Gingerbread House Toys supported Child Protection Network through the sale of custom Wink stuffies wearing a CPN Christmas Sweater Vest with their logo in a snow globe. With the help and generosity of our customers and the community, we were able to donate $12,500 to CPN!
2020: Marcfirst
The Wink Alliance gives $13,750!
For the 2020 holiday season, the Wink Alliance kicked-off as Gingerbread House Toys supported Marcfirst to help them achieve their vision to become a bridge to our community, where all people can pursue and achieve their dreams throughout their lives!
The Wink Clone Machines (aka our amazing friends at Stuffed Animal Pros) assembled an amazing litter of Winks that were the heart of soul of our giving this past season! Through the sale of these limited edition items, and your amazing generosity and support, Marcfirst received all of the proceeds totalling $13,750! They used it toward new equipment in the Motor Gym at the Gregg Chadwick Marcfirst Pediatric Therapy Center and continue to support local families through development and therapeutic support for children. You can read more details on our blog post from earlier this year, or watch the announcment video below.
Support the Wink Alliance
Volunteer with our alliance partners like Marcfirst, Child Protection Network, Special Olympics Illinois, and The Baby Fold! As a friend of Gingerbread House Toys, one of the most impactful things you can do is give your time to the community and those who call it home.
Do you have a story to share how Marcfirst, CPN, Special Olympics Illinois, The Baby Fold, or Gingerbread House Toys helped someone you love? Let us know and we can help spread the word about the great work these allies do in our community to help families thrive.
Do you know an organization that would be perfect for the Wink Alliance? Each year, one new organization will be selected, and a new Wink stuffy will be reimagined with a few variations including the logo of the new organization! This allows us to create awareness and lasting impact for both non-profits and the Wink Alliance!
If you'd like to nominate a local non-profit who focuses on the needs of children, please fill out this form and let us know!
Play more! Grow more!
And you helped us GIVE MORE than EVER before
with the Wink Alliance!
