'Free Toy Store' To Spread Cheer To Upper East Side Kids

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — A first-of-its-kind "free toy store" will appear on the Upper East Side this weekend thanks to the efforts of a neighborhood group that has spent weeks amassing holiday gifts.

The "store" will be open from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 18, at Church of the Holy Trinity on East 88th Street between First and Second avenues.

It was put together by UES Mutual Aid, which circulated an Amazon wish list of classic toys for neighborhood kids. Time has nearly run out to donate — gifts must arrive by Thursday — but organizer Patrick Bobilin said this week that most of the requested items had been fulfilled by neighbors.

Organizers picked toys that were "interactive and fun," including time-honored favorites that "parents might remember from their childhood," Bobilin said.

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Items include LEGO sets, Operation, a singing Elmo doll, Dinosaur figures, scratch-paper art sets and spirographs.

Meant for kids ages 3-9, the free store will limit toys to one per child. Refreshments will also be served.