EAST BRUNSWICK – A local businessman has come up with a unique way to raise funds for Ronald McDonald House Charities.
For two weeks, from Aug. 18 through Sept. 1, Barry Blank of National Estate Jewelry Buyers Ltd. will have more than 500 collectible dolls and teddy bears available for “adoption” in his Route 18 store.
Each will be sold for $10, and 100 percent of the proceeds will go to the Ronald McDonald House in New Brunswick. Each doll will come with a certificate of adoption.
The Ronald McDonald House of New Brunswick is a $1.8 million building with six bedrooms for families whose children are receiving lifesaving medical attention. The house, located next to the Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, provides private bathrooms and facilities for cooking, laundry and recreation, and offers an emotional support system with other residents, staff and volunteers.
“It’s such a good cause,” Blank said. “We really wanted to do something special. Children cherish these dolls and teddy bears so much. We thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be wonderful if families could buy these collectibles for their children and at the same time help the kids at the New Brunswick Ronald McDonald House?’”
Visitors to the store will find a large assortment of like-new teddy bears made by leading teddy bear makers Cartier, Bearington, Cabbage Patch, Stieff and Gund. There will also be like-new dolls by Mattel (Barbie), Seymour, Uneeda and many others.
The public is invited to browse through the store’s collection of heirloom and estate jewelry and antique furniture, lamps, prints and tableware. In addition to the proceeds from the sale of the dolls and teddy bears, 10 percent of all other purchases will be donated to Ronald McDonald House Charities during this two-week period.
National Estate Jewelry Buyers Ltd. is located at 212 Route 18 north, next to Kinko’s. Sale hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Thursdays until 6 p.m.) For more information, call (732) 565-1120.