Standing in a room full of toys with a high-tech lead- detecting gun, Larry Rosenberg spent hours at the American Red Cross office yesterday making sure Christmas would be safe for thousands of children.
"Out of the thousands of toys there was only a couple that we identified as potentially having lead content," Rosenberg said. "They won't be given out."
Rosenberg, an employee of the Watertown company RMD (Radiation Monitoring Devices) volunteers as a disaster coordinator for the Red Cross's Waltham chapter.
He found out the organization wanted to test toys for lead for the first time this year by Linda Driscoll, director of the American Red Cross for MetroWest.
"There's been so much publicity in the newspapers about it," Driscoll said yesterday. "There's a recall list online of items that have been identified in advance ... we're trying to make sure to ask people not to donate toys that have already been recalled because of lead contamination."
Another lead-testing volunteer, RMD consultant Bob Churchwell, explained that it's not just lead that they were searching for, but also other harmful elements such as chrome, cadmium and mercury. He said the testing of lead in toys coincides with RMD's origins.
"RMD was founded in part to detect lead-based paints in homes for safety reasons," he said. "They've been diligent in protecting children throughout the world for 14 years."
The toys will be given to children as part of the Red Cross's Holiday Assistance Program, providing toys for children living in homeless shelters, foster care and shelters for battered women and children.
Driscoll said this year the Red Cross has a special need for gifts for older children.
"We have a lot of problems getting people to donate items for older kids 12 years and up," she said. "Right now we have about 100 older kids we need to get toys donated for by next Tuesday."
Next week volunteers will begin distributing the toys to various organizations including the Department of Social Services to give out to children.
Driscoll said they will continue accepting toys up until New Year's Day. Toys donated after the Christmas holiday will be used for children who lose homes to fires.
Toys can be donated at the American Red Cross Office at 867 Main St. Driscoll said toys for older children, such as footballs, basketballs and CD Walkmans are greatly appreciated.
Jeff Gilbride can be reached at 781-398-8005 or jgilbrid@cnc.com
