|
e-Claire
This
page is dedicated to Claire and Arnold Corbin
without whom there wouldnt be a Connection
Channel. They were the initiation, inspiration,
and support for all of our efforts.
The initial seed for the Connection
Channel, and the offering of our talking plush
animals as our primary Connection Channel Messengers,
began at the home of Claire and Arnold Corbin.
They purchased a cute plush animal to give to
one of their close friends who was hosting a big
celebration. They wanted to do something different,
something special. So they recorded their own,
unique wishes for their friends to play that night
and whenever they thought of them in the future.
They showed the gift to us and shared the catalog
that displayed the wide range of adorable gift
toys.
As it turns out, the Corbins had
learned about the product from the father of the
man who had started up this business. We thought
about it and realized the power this family of
products had in helping people to connect with
each other by sending their own voice in a huggable
messenger. We were also touched by the origin
of these products, which arose from a need for
parents to give comfort to their children during
extended stays in hospitals.
As we evolved our broader mission
of the Connection Channel, which included giving
back to the community, and donating to charities
and hospitals, my husband and I realized that
we were recreating the legacy of Claire Corbin.
During the 1950s, Claire worked at the WOR radio
station in New York City. She was responsible
for running all aspects of the WOR Christmas Fund.
The fund collected money (even single dollars
were sent in envelopes) from the people of New
York to buy presents for needy kids in hospitals
and other charitable organizations.
Claire worked through all the
details of the program, from advertising, collecting
money, deciding what presents would be purchased,
doing all the purchasing on the lower East Side
of New York City, coordinating the individual
wrapping of every item and finally to the delivery
of these presents to hospitals. She made certain
that every child received two presents: one fun
toy and one piece of clothing. For a more personal
touch, names were written on the presents when
provided. It was an enormous, yet rewarding task.
I should know. I am her daughter.
I participated in all aspects of the WOR Christmas
Fund, along with the rest of my family. We only
hope that the efforts of the Connection Channel
will be able to bring as much joy to people and
charities as the labors of Claire Corbin. She
and her husband, of 63 years, Arnold (my father),
have always worked as a team in business and in
life. My husband Paul and I plan to continue that
tradition.
Karen Corbin Lionti
|