Controversial toy drive to end this year

Port Fishington, Philadelphia--The controversial toy drive that has the Delaware Valley, and beyond, up in arms will be discontinued at the end of this year. Toys for T_ts is a toy drive benefiting children of former exotic dancing single mothers whose careers were ended prematurely because of injuries resulting from faulty dancing poles.

Bill Haggerty, a gentleman's club maintenance man who volunteers each year to help organize the toys, says he feels obligated to do so. "I was supposed to put two bolts into the top of that pole. I thought I did."

Many seem to grasp the mission of the toy drive, but not the title. "I'm offended by the name of the toy drive," said Philadelphia resident Tom Billingsly. "I support and understand its mission, but it really is offensive. How about Toys for B_ _bies?"

Bobby Ressurini, owner of the gentleman's club Velvet Hats & Gloves, started the drive in November of 2006. The owner said the name came from the popular Toys for Tots campaign managed by the United States Marine Corps Reserve that collects toys for underprivileged children, while the idea came to him after reading an article in the magazine Exotic Pole Vault about the shocking number of defective dancing poles in the region and the accompanying life-altering injuries.

"I felt I had to do something. It was time for me to step up and help the children or grand children of these injured dancers."

Customers receive five dollars off admission price when they present a new, unwrapped children's toy upon entry to any of the region's gentleman's clubs. Wrapped toys will be unwrapped, checked and re-wrapped using the same paper and tape.

It wasn't until this holiday season that the donation drive began to receive more publicity when Ressurini placed a somewhat racy billboard advertisement along I-95 that featured, well, toys and ... (images were blurred to meet communication regulations). Both local major newspapers covered the story which caught the attention of the local network news programs. Both CNN and MSNBC picked up the story from there where it became national news and Ressurini really began to feel the pressure.

Local news anchor Jim Gardner refused to call the toy drive by its actual name during his report on the story on Tuesday night. The veteran newsman, showing a straight face, would only say Toys for Hoo Ha's.

"I firmly believe that Toys for T_ts benefits each single mother that danced at my clubs and my competitors' clubs," said Ressurini last week outside one of his four clubs, standing with five of his employees' kids. "I don't know if I made that clear. These toys will go to all exotic dancer's children in the region. Not just Velvet Hats and Gloves' dancers' kids."

Yesterday, the owner finally gave in to the pressure from area residents and the local and national media to end the toy drive. December 31 st will be the official last day for Toys for T_ts.

"You're hurting the kids," shouted Ressurini from his 2010 Mercedes sedan, as he peeled out of his parking lot, dirt and debris shooting from the tires and ricocheting off the side of an Action News van. "You're not hurting me."