Washington, D.C.(November 22) – The Direct Selling Association kicked off the 17th Annual TODAY Show Holiday Toy and Gift Drive this morning by presenting the direct selling industry’s donation live in Rockefeller Plaza.

Forty-one direct selling companies donated a total of more than $16.5 million in products and cash to the Toy Drive. Of the 41 participating companies, at least 10 will be featured in their own spots on the TODAY Show during the holiday season. In its seven years of participation DSA member companies have donated more than $70 million in products, services and cash to the Toy Drive.

Participating companies donated items from books, stuffed animals and fashion accessories to clothing and toiletries for children and families across the country.

“Participation in the Toy Drive is a natural fit for direct selling companies,” said Amy Robinson, DSA Vice President of Communications and Media Relations. “Every day, direct sellers help others achieve their goals through the products and opportunities they offer, but their involvement in charitable and philanthropic activities reinforces the positive impact direct selling has on millions of lives each year.”

The TODAY Show Toy Drive is a project of the Today Show Charitable Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Donations are matched with the needs of more than 200 organizations with which the Today Show Charitable Foundation works. As part of this year’s Toy Drive, DSA member companies will send items to about dozens organizations in states from California to New York.

Companies from the smallest, newest member applicants to the largest, most established companies participated in this effort. Donations ranging from a handful of products to more than $7 million in products were received.

The following direct selling companies donated products to this year’s Toy Drive:

4Life (4life.com)
Aloette (aloette.com)
Amway (amway.com)
Arbonne (arbonne.com)
Avon (avon.com)
Barefoot Books (barefootbooks.com)
Blessings Unlimited (blessingsdirect.com)
Cookie Lee (cookielee.com)
CUTCO (cutco.com)
DeTech (detech.com)
Dove Chocolate Discoveries (dovechocolatediscoveries.com)
Earth's Elements (earthselements.biz)
Essential Bodywear (essentialbodywear.com)
Freelife (freelife.com)
GiGi Hill (gigihillbags.com)
GNLD (gnld.com)
Gourmet Coffee Stations (gourmetcoffeestations.com)
Jockey Person-to-Person (jockeypersontoperson.com)
lia sophia (liasophia.com)
The Longaberger Company (longaberger.com)
Mary Kay (marykay.com)
Neways (neways.com)
NSA (juiceplus.com)
Nu Skin (nuskin.com)
Oxyfresh (oxyfresh.com)
The Pampered Chef (pamperedchef.com)
PartyLite Gifts (partylite.com)
Pink Papaya (pinkpapaya.com)
Scentsy (scentsy.com)
Senegence (senegence.com)
Shaklee Corporation (shaklee.com)
Stampin' Up! (stampinup.com)
Stella & Dot (stelladot.com)
TARRAH Cosmetics (tarrah.com)
Team National (bign.com)
The Southwestern Company (southwestern.com)
Traci Lynn Fashion Jewelry (tracilynnjewelry.com)
Vantel Pearls (vantel.com)
Vollara (vollara.com)
Willow House (willowhouse.com)
XANGO (xango.com)

DSA is the national trade association of the leading firms that manufacture and distribute goods and services sold directly to consumers. Among its more than 260 direct selling members are companies selling both via a party-plan method and in the traditional person-to-person style. In 2009, U.S. direct sales were more than $28 billion with more than 16 million direct sellers nationwide. The vast majority are independent business people – micro-entrepreneurs – whose purpose is to sell the product/service of the company they voluntarily choose to represent. Approximately 90 percent of direct sellers operate their business part-time.

For more information on direct selling, DSA and its Code of Ethics, please visit the DSA website at www.dsa.org.

• View DSA's Donation on the TODAY Show