THE NEWSROOM

Balzac offering free toys

By Staff -- Playthings, 6/25/2008 8:21:00 AM
SYOSSET, N.Y.—Balzac Toys, the outdoor toys maker founded by “teenage toy tycoon” Mary Rodas, this week announced it would give away free product on its website, partly in an effort to support the campaign of Senator Barack Obama, the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee.

The program is offering Balzac2 balls for just the cost of shipping and handling on the company’s website, www.BalzacToys.com.

"After the tremendous success of the Balzac brand over the past 25 years, we want to thank our customers by giving away the Balzac2 Earth Balls which are great for educational use and outdoor play," said Rodss. "We have been thrilled by the thousands of people who have made our website hot and we keep rewarding the kids and adults who visit it with these incredible new offers."

As for the Senator Obama connection, Rodas, an Hispanic-American who describes herself as “a minority who has lived the American Dream,” hopes that anyone who gets a Balzac2 for free (a $22.00 value) might in exchange make a donation to www.barackobama.com.

"When I became a Scholastic Mentor I was one of the few minorities whose story became required reading in elementary schools. But Senator Obama blows the ceiling off everything for every minority and I strongly support him," Rodas says.

Balzac, a ball made from a balloon in a cloth sack, has at various times since its introduction in the ’80s been distributed by the likes of Hasbro and Wham-O. Balzac Toys will introduce a new version, Balzac3, in 2009.