– Chairperson Ruey-Yu Wang donates additional NT$10 million to help build the largest Toy Sharing Park in Taiwan –
Before 8:00 A.M. on August 23, a dark blue van slowly set out from the Taipei Headquarters of FPG towards Taoyuan Yangmei. As it turns out, this was the day of the event "Formosa Grandparents and Grandchildren Playing Together" co-organized by Formosa Biomedical Technology Corp., Wang Chang-Gung Charity Trust, and Taiwan Toy Library Association in Yangmei Toy Sharing Park. It was a sunny day and Chairperson Ruey-Yu Wang personally attended the event to show her determination to build Toy Sharing Park. Taoyuan City Mayor Wen-Tsan Cheng also personally attended to share the joy with citizens. Aware of the fact that fund raising for Toy Sharing Park fell short of expectations due to the pandemic, Chairperson Ruey-Yu Wang announced on the spot that Formosa Biomedical Technology Corp. and Wang Chang-Gung Charity Trust will donate an additional NT$10 million to help build the largest toy sharing park in Taiwan, and hoped construction will successfully commence at the end of this year.
The collaboration between Formosa Biomedical Technology Corp. and Taiwan Toy Library Association focused on "preventive medicine," "resource reuse," and "care for the underprivileged." We chose to plan the event "Formosa Grandparents and Grandchildren Playing Together" on the day before Grandparents Day to promote healthy aging and toy recycling and reuse. We hope that promotion of the event will allow even more people to see what we are doing, see underprivileged groups in society that need care, further become willing to participate and exert greater social influence, and help Taiwan Toy Library Association more quickly complete fund raising for the construction of toy sharing park.
The scorching sun on the day of the event could not stop people's passion. Apart from reporters, over 600 local grandparents and grandchildren, volunteers, and nearby residents participated in the event, waiting as they waved the fan in their hands. At almost 10:00, the host led everyone to cheer for the arrival of Chairperson Ruey-Yu Wang of Formosa Biomedical Technology Corp. and Taoyuan City Mayor Wen-Tsan Cheng.
After distinguished guests arrived at the venue, the host announced the commencement of the event, and drums sounded on stage for the opening ceremony. Partners from Qi Zhi Vocational Training Center in Yangmei welcomed all of the guests and participates with the thunderous sound of drums. Next was a dance performance by elderly people and saxophone performance by love health volunteers from Chang Gung University of Science and Technology to liven up the atmosphere.
There were main experience courses, games, and DIY activities for grandparents and grandchildren on the day of the event. Quite a few grandparents living nearby brought their grandchildren to participate in the spinning top coloring and games, which brought families closer together and created a warm and lively atmosphere.
Chairperson Kuo-Fang Yeh of Taiwan Toy Library Association said: "We have been collecting used toys for years, and dedicated our efforts to promoting resource reuse and care services. We know that toys not only bring children joy, but can also be used as a tool to improve relationships between grandparents and grandchildren. People of all ages can play with toys. We co-organized the event with Formosa Biomedical Technology Corp. and Wang Chang-Gung Charity Trust at the annual Grandparents Day to tell everyone to value interactions between grandparents and grandchildren and care for their grandparents."
After the lively opening ceremony, the host invited Taoyuan City Mayor Wen-Tsan Cheng to come on stage and give opening remarks. Unexpectedly, Mayor Cheng first thanked Chairperson Wang of Formosa Biomedical Technology Corp.: "I am grateful to FPG. Changhua has the largest toy park in Central Taiwan, and now Nan Ya Plastics Corporation is providing land in Yangmei and FPG is donating NT$10 million to help build the largest toy sharing park in Northern Taiwan." He said that after the park is established, toys in Northern Taiwan can be exchange and circulated here. He specially thanked Formosa Biomedical Technology Corp. for letting dreams come true here. Distinguished guests and citizens clapped and cheered for Chairperson Wang.
The introductions by Mayor Cheng allowed everyone to understand that so many local companies in Taoyuan was concerned about social welfare and cared for the environment, which is why they took the time out of their busy schedule to support the fund raiser organized by Chairperson Ruey-Yu Wang. It is truly moving that so many people want to contribute to the prosperity of communities in Taoyuan.
After the speech by Mayor Cheng, the host invited Chairperson Jui Ruey -Yu Wang of Formosa Biomedical Technology Corp. to come on stage and share what motivated her to work with Taiwan Toy Library Association, her expectations for toy sharing park, and her thoughts on participating in social welfare.
Chairperson Ruey -Yu Wang said: "Taiwan Toy Library Association not only promotes the concept of collecting and reusing used toys, but also takes action and has collected 380 tons of toys over the past 18 years, which has greatly benefited the ecosystem. The association's concept of resource reuse matches FPG's concept of circular economy and social responsibility." She remembered how they first made contact in the Formosa road run event in Changhua in 2019 and began working together. They established the largest used toy logistics center in FPG's Changhua Plant in 2020, and they donated a toy car that traveled around Taiwan to spread love. In the past three years, the jointly collected 16.6 tons of toys, and gave 7,490 kilograms of toys to 185 organizations. Formosa Biomedical Technology Corp. and Wang Chang-Gung Charity Trust donated NT$10 million to help build the toy sharing park, in hopes that more non-government organizations and institutions that share the same philosophy for resource recycling and reuse will also support the endeavor.
The largest toy sharing park project in Taiwan is expected to be completed in 2025. Besides continuing the work as a used toy logistics center, the park is expected to reuse 50 metric tons of used toys every year, and the complete sharing space will allow Taiwan Toy Library Association to find new owners for even more toys, which will lift the burden on the environment.
The largest toy sharing park in Taiwan is planned with a space for parents and children to play together, a youth co-creation conference room, day care center for both elderly and children, lounge for elderly people, and international volunteer rest area for international co-learning. This will allow Taiwan Toy Library Association to expand its services to children and elderly people, improve the physical and mental health of elderly people by letting them play with children, and raise awareness of toy sustainability, which correspond to the three concepts of Formosa Biomedical Technology Corp.
The park's outpost – "Toy Treasure Box" built from container houses is already open. Visitors are welcome to bring their whole family to visit every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, and experience taking apart and organizing toys. We hope that visitors will take action to support the park and let the dream of toy circulation and reuse around Taiwan come true!
We invite you to support the "Toy Sharing Park" Project: http://www.tw-toylibrary.org/new/toyhome.php
(FPG, Aug. 23, 2022)