Mixtroz co-founders Ashlee Ammons-Halpin, left, and Kerry Schrader. (FILE)
By Barnett Wright | The Birmingham Times
Mixtroz co-founders, Kerry Schrader and Ashlee Ammons-Halpin were first time entrepreneurs when they came to Birmingham 10 years ago to be part of the Innovation Depot’s Velocity Accelerator. The company won a $100,000 investment from the Rise of the Rest (ROTR) Seed Fund, and went on to accumulate over $1 million in venture capital, rare for a tech startup led by two Black women.
“And you know we really dedicated a decade to trying to get Mixtroz going,” Schrader told the Birmingham Times on Tuesday. “My saddest thing and my biggest regret is more now than ever Mixtroz is needed because people don’t talk to each other. People are making assumptions, and we aren’t engaging. Our young people aren’t engaging.”
Schrader and Ammons-Halpin announced this month they have decided to wind down their tech business. “It’s been quite a ride. The ups, the downs, the incredible people we’ve met, and the lessons learned have all been worth it,” Schrader told bhamnow.com.
The mother-daughter duo developed the event app which allowed organizers to leverage attendee-supplied data to remove the awkwardness from networking. Attendees would download the app and answer a few multiple-choice questions.
Based on the provided responses, attendees would be divided into groups with others who have shared interests. The experience created an atmosphere where individuals felt comfortable breaking the ice.
“I appreciate Birmingham for becoming a part of our quilt,” Schrader told the Times. “I think it is something to be said that two Black women came to Birmingham and were able to raise our first $1 million here. “
Mixtroz co-founders Kerry Schrader, left, and Ashlee Ammons-Halpin
Schrader and her daughter were initially based in Nashville but moved Mixtroz to Birmingham, which initially garnered their company local attention.
“Birmingham was enamored with us; we were leaving Nashville, we were something different, but I don’t think the eye for the long-term success of a tech company was there,” Schrader told the Birmingham Business Journal.
As for what’s next Ashlee has secured a job with a venture capital group that’s tapping into her experience as an entrepreneur and has been on that job for over a year, said her mother.
Schrader’s next steps will be to focus fully on her new life coaching and mentoring business, KES (pronounced keys), which she launched in August.
“I have opened a coaching consulting business that I’m just now getting off the ground and it’s funny because even from me posting that we’re closing [Mixtroz] people have been coming into that business, Kerry Schrader.com,” told the Times. “And what I am doing is offering my experience to other entrepreneurs. You know I have a background in HR and just life that I will talk to people at a reasonable fee.
“I understand what it is like to want questions answered and then somebody wants to charge you $5,000 and can’t do anything. My hourly rate is $60, and I will only talk about stuff that I really know about. We have too many people talking about stuff they have no idea,” she said.
BY JE’DON HOLLOWAY-TALLEY | Special to the Birmingham Times
VALLIE & ANGELIA THOMAS
Live: Bessemer
Married: April 15, 1989
Met: June 3, 1984, at a nightclub in Bessemer, called The Establishment. “We were there and neither one of us wanted to be there,” Vallie laughed. “Angelia was there because her cousin begged her to take her, and I was there because my friend begged me to take him. And once I got there, I saw Angelia and her cousin walk in and I said, ‘Who is that? I got to know her!’”
“My cousin wanted to celebrate getting a new job and begged me to go. I tried everything I could to get out of it that night but she wouldn’t let up,” Angelia said. “Come to find out, Vallie and his cousin knew my cousin and we ended up sitting together.”
Angelia was playing hard to get that night. “When we sat down, I said, ‘What’d you say your name was again?’ and she said, ‘I didn’t.’ And then I asked her to dance and we danced for one song, but I had to leave because I was starting a new job the next day so I asked her for her phone number,” Vallie said.
“I gave the wrong number to everybody that asked me for my phone number that night, but for some reason, I gave Vallie the right number and he called the next day,” Angelia said.
During that conversation, Vallie asked if she’d allow him to come over for a visit. “He was very respectful, we sat around and talked about what we wanted out of life, and it made me feel good because we wanted the same things,” Angelia recalled. “I was nervous, I asked her for a glass of water and ended up wasting it on myself,” Vallie laughed.
First date: Angelia’s birthday, June 18, 1984. They went to Captain D’s for dinner, and he surprised her with a bouquet of flowers at her front door.
“… that was a nice place to take her,” Vallie said. “I gave her the flowers at the front door, but I held on to the card until we got to dinner. I remember trying to be polite and show her I had good home training. I wasn’t much of a talker then…”
“Everything was going good, but like he said he wasn’t a talker so we were sitting and eating and he wasn’t saying anything, and me being me, I said ‘I can’t do this, you’re too quiet for me’, and then he said I can do better, and he did. He started talking,” Angelia laughed. “And after that, we saw each other daily for five years. Every day we went somewhere different to eat. He impressed very well, and he still does.”
Vallie and Angelia Thomas met at a nightclub in Bessemer in 1984. The couple married five years later. (Reginald Allen Photo)
The turn: A few weeks later after the first date the pair were exclusive. “We were sitting in the car after a date one day, and I asked her would she be my girl and she said ‘yes’,” Vallie said.
“I told him I would because after he started talking, I started enjoying his company very much. And he called all the time and I really loved that,” Angelia said.
The proposal: Christmas night, 1988. They were at Vallie’s house in Bessemer. “It was just she and I and we were sitting in the living room with the Christmas tree and with a fire going and I said, ‘I have something to give you’, I had just spent $5k on the ring and I was excited to show her. I opened up the ring box and got down on my knee and asked her would she marry me and she said ‘yes, I will’, Vallie said.
“I was speechless because I wasn’t looking for it at that time. I was really happy because he made a beautiful choice in the ring and that really got me,” Angelia said.
The wedding: At their new home in Bessemer. Vallie had bought a new house to gift and marry his bride in. It was officiated by Vallie’s uncle, Reverend Clifton Dial, of New Salem Missionary Baptist Church in Bessemer. Their colors were cream and aqua-blue.
Most memorable for the bride was quickly planning her wedding. “I had to plan a wedding [to hold in] our new home in two weeks, and it was fabulous because I had a sister that did that kind of decorating and everything came together well. Vallie was really happy [that I pulled the wedding off so quickly] because he didn’t want to live any days at the new house by himself. It was a beautiful wedding, and one I’ll never forget,” said Angelia, after the couple received more than 100 gifts and welcomed far more guests than they anticipated.
Most memorable for the groom was a huge turnout despite planning a small wedding. “We were only banking on me and my folks and Angelia and her folks, but it wound up being way bigger than we expected. A lot of [additional] people ended up coming….it was about a hundred or so people there. It was fine though, we were excited that so many people showed up because we didn’t realize that many people loved us. And we were happy that we had enough food,” Vallie said.
The couple honeymooned in their new home. “We had more than a hundred gifts, so we spent the first week opening gifts and enjoying our new home,” Angelia said. “We were so happy we were pinching ourselves to make sure it was real,” said Vallie.
Words of wisdom: “Keep God in it and let Him have the last word. And stay close. The way you felt when you first met, keep those feelings alive,” Vallie said.
“Always pray, and never go to bed mad at each other or leave the house without giving a kiss or a hug,” Angelia said.
Happily ever after: The Thomas’ attend Bethel Baptist Church in Pratt City, where Vallie serves as an associate minister. They have three adult children, April, 44, Valencia, 34, Vallie IV, 31, and 2 grandchildren.
Angelia, 66, is a Bessemer native and Wenonah High School grad. She attended Lawson State Community College where she earned an associate’s degree in applied science and retired from Gestamp Automation in McCalla in 2019, where she worked in the assembly department for 15 years.
Vallie, 65, is a Bessmer native and Jess Lanier High School grad. He attended Bessemer Tech where he studied automotive. He runs his own company V&A Tire and Automotive Center in Bessemer.
“You Had Me at Hello’’ highlights married couples and the love that binds them. If you would like to be considered for a future “Hello’’ column, or know someone, please send nominations to Barnett Wright bwright@birminghamtimes.com. Include the couple’s name, contact number(s) and what makes their love story unique.
Nikki Giovanni enjoyed a career that lasted more than five decades and her early years were enveloped in closeness to her African American heritage and a love for literature. (File)
Yolande Cornelia “Nikki” Giovanni Jr., renowned American poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator died Monday. She was 81.
According to WDJB News, Ms. Giovanni passed away peacefully with her partner, Virginia “Ginny” Fowler close by.
Throughout her career, Ms. Giovanni penned many poetry anthologies, children’s books, and spoken word albums. Her autobiographical “Nikki-Rosa” poem has been reprinted in numerous collections. Her versatility as a writer was reflected in works such as “Spin a Soft Black Song” (1971) and “Ego-Tripping and Other Poems for Young People” (1973), which showed Ms. Giovanni could write for a younger audience while still tackling challenging themes.
In 1987, Ms. Giovanni joined the faculty at Virginia Tech as a professor of English, teaching creative writing and literature until her retirement in 2022. Her time at Virginia Tech was characterized by her commitment to education and mentorship. After the tragic shooting at Virginia Tech in 2007, Ms. Giovanni crafted a powerful chant-poem for the memorial, capturing the resilience of the community.
Born on June 7, 1943, in Knoxville, Tennessee, Ms. Giovanni enjoyed a career that lasted more than five decades. Her early years were enveloped in closeness to her African American heritage and a love for literature. She entered Fisk University’s “Early Entrant” program, beginning college in Nashville, Tennessee before completing her high school studies.
At Fisk, she edited the student literary magazine, renewed the campus chapter of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and went on to graduate with honors with her B.A. in history in 1967.
By the late 1960s, Ms. Giovanni was established as one of the leading voices in the Black Arts Movement and had become known as “Poet of the Black Revolution.” Her first volumes of poetry, “Black Feeling, Black Talk” in 1968 and “Black Judgement,” in 1968, were unapologetically bold, militant and powerful calls to racial and social justice.
Ms. Giovanni was the recipient of numerous literary and social justice awards, including several NAACP Image Awards, the Langston Hughes Medal, and more than 20 honorary degrees from colleges and universities. In 2005, her album, “The Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection,” was nominated for the Grammy Best Spoken Word Album. She was also named one of Oprah Winfrey’s 25 “Living Legends.”
In the early 1990s, Ms. Giovanni battled with lung cancer. Her 1999 collection “Blues: For All the Changes: New Poems” comprises poems on nature and her cancer journey.
Ms. Giovanni was a proud honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.
Her legacy is one of profound impact on literature, education, social activism, and a larger quest for justice and equality. She is survived by her son, Thomas Watson Giovanni, wife, Virginia Fowler, granddaughter, Kai Giovanni, amongst other family members, according to WDBJ in Virginia.
One of Ms. Giovanni’s quotes from her anthology, “The Collected Poetry, 1968-1998,” speaks perfectly to the writer and scholar’s indomitable spirit:
“I hope i die
warmed
by the life that i tried
to live”
Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham has received a $2.5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. (File)
The Birmingham Times
Historic Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in downtown Birmingham has received a $2.5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. which will support the church’s “Preservation and Expansion Project.”
The Lily Endowment’s Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative will be use expand a new Education and Visitors Center as “a living sermon” – a place for gathering, learning, connecting, and committing to making the world a better place.
The church has developed a comprehensive strategy for incorporating religion into its historic exhibitions and programs, aiming to explore major religious traditions, ideas, themes, and questions and proposes to expand its programs and share them with a larger audience.
As part of the Birmingham Civil Rights District, Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, an active house of worship, has been a venue for community gatherings and events. The church is committed to serving the Birmingham community, as well as the thousands of tourists who visit each year. It has redesigned its educational spaces and re-purposed its parsonage to create multi-media museum experiences for visitors, focusing not only on the 1963 bombing of Church and its aftermath, but also on the aesthetic significance of the Church designed by African American architect W. A. Rayfield.
Rev. Arthur Price, pastor of the church, has said, “the church aims to create an educational and inspirational experience that will strengthen its capacities and make a transformative impact in demonstrating how religion can be incorporated, and influence decisions made in daily life. By delving deeper into the religious aspects of its history, the church seeks to empower individuals, challenge prejudices, and inspire action towards a more inclusive and just society.”
Sixteenth Street Baptist Church is one of 33 organizations from across the United States receiving grants through the latest round of the Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative. Its aim is to support museums and other cultural organizations as they strengthen their capacity to provide fair, accurate and balanced portrayals of the role religion has played and continues to play in the United States and around the world.
“The United States is widely considered to be one of the most religiously diverse nations today,” said Christopher L. Coble, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for religion. “Many individuals and families trust museums and other cultural institutions and visit them to learn about their communities and the world. We are excited to support these organizations as they embark on projects to help visitors understand and appreciate the diverse religious beliefs, practices and perspectives of their neighbors and others in communities around the globe.
Protective Stadium to host the Birmingham Bowl on Fri. Dec. 27.
The Birmingham Times
Georgia Tech will take on Vanderbilt in the 2024 Birmingham Bowl, set for Dec. 27.
The Yellow Jackets (7-5) and Vanderbilt (6-6) will face off at 2:30 p.m. at Protective Stadium. The game will be televised live by ESPN.
For the 10th time in school history, Vanderbilt football is headed to a bowl game.
Since the game’s inception in 2006, the Birmingham Bowl has generated over $181 million in economic impact for the Birmingham community. The game has also donated over $490,000 to the Monday Morning Quarterback Club’s charitable arm — Quarterbacking Children’s Health Foundation.
It’s the first trip to the Birmingham Bowl for Georgia Tech, coached by former Alabama assistant Brent Key. Vanderbilt beat Houston in what was then known as the BBVA Compass Bowl at Legion Field in 2014.
The matchup pits Georgia Tech (7-5, 5-3 ACC) and Vanderbilt (6-6, 3-5 SEC) for the 39th time overall, but the first time in the postseason. The Yellow Jackets lead the all-time series, 20-15-3, but are 12-0-1 against the Commodores since 1948 and haven’t lost to Vandy since 1941. The Jackets have won six-straight in the series since a 10-10 tie in 1965.
Most recently, Tech and Vandy have squared off four times since 2002, with the Jackets winning 45-3 (2002 in Atlanta), 24-17 in overtime (2003 in Nashville), 56-31 (2009 in Nashville) and 38-7 (2016 in Atlanta).
Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt were conference-mates for 48 years – in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1916-21), Southern Conference (1922-32) and Southeastern Conference (1933-63). Their rivalry spawned a traveling trophy – a cow bell – that has been awarded to the winning team since 1924. Tech has had possession of the bell since its 13-0 win over Vandy in 1948.
Composer Brian Nabors receives applause as he premieres new work at the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in downtown Birmingham.
Story and photos by Marika N. Johnson | For The Birmingham Times
The renovated and reopened Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in downtown Birmingham, Alabama, recently played host to an evening of music by the Alabama Symphony Orchestra (ASO) and Composer Brian Raphael Nabors, a 2009 graduate of Huffman High School.
The occasion on Thursday, December 5 marked the ASO’s first appearance at the location, also known as the Carver Theatre, since 1935. The orchestra performed the world premiere of a new work by Nabors that included a Bach Brandenburg Concerto and Italian composer Ottorino Respighi’s “Ancient Airs and Dances.”
Alabama Symphony Orchestra Conductor Carlos Izcaray, left, and composer Brian Raphael Nabors, a Birmingham native and City Schools graduate.
Nabors, known for his dynamic and evocative works that blend classical traditional with modern sensibilities, said the show was about “two histories coming together, one of a symphonic nature and the other of jazz.”
A writer of contemporary jazz yet a child of Civil Rights parents and Jim Crow grandparents, Nabors expressed his elation about “combining the two histories and being a part of both.”
The composer earned both a Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degree in Composition at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), where he studied with Douglas Knehans, Ellen Ruth Harrison and Miguel A. Roig-Francolí. Prior to graduate studies, he obtained a Bachelor of Music Theory & Composition degree from the School of the Arts at Samford University in Birmingham, AL.
Nabors will be at the Birmingham’s Ballard House today Dec. 9, 2024, 5:30 p.m. for an intimate conversation and listening session.
Brian Raphael Nabors and sister Bethany Nabors take a selfie before his performance at the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in downtown Birmingham.
Mixtroz co-owners and mother/daughter team Kerry Schrader (left) and Ashlee Ammons-Halpin. (File)
The Birmingham Times
After 10 years of getting strangers to mix and mingle at meetings, conferences, and virtual events through their event app, Mixtroz founders, Kerry Schrader and Ashlee Ammons-Halpin, have decided to wind down their tech business.
“It’s been quite a ride. The ups, the downs, the incredible people we’ve met, and the lessons learned have all been worth it.” said Schrader, co-founder, Mixtroz
Mixtroz was founded in Nashville, Tenn., but relocated to Birmingham to be part of the Innovation Depot’s Velocity Accelerator. The company won a $100,000 investment from the Rise of the Rest (ROTR) Seed Fund, led by entrepreneur and former AOL CEO Steve Case, that finances entrepreneurs who leverage their expertise to change the way people live and work.
Ammons, who is from Cleveland, Ohio, earned a degree in mass communications and public relations from Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio. She worked as first assistant for Cleveland Cavaliers star Lebron James from 2007 to 2009. She has worked with mogul Oprah Winfrey, movie star Leonardo DiCaprio, and entertainment giant Jay-Z. And she has held positions with brands like Moët Hennessy and Coca-Cola.
Schrader has worked for several companies, including Ford Motor Co., Sears Holdings Corp., and the Nashville Technology Council.
Ashlee Ammons (right) and Kelly Schrader (left) are the mother-daughter duo behind now defunct tech startup Mixtroz. (Provided Photo)
History of Mixtroz
The mother-daughter duo developed the event app which allowed organizers to leverage attendee-supplied data to remove the awkwardness from networking. Attendees would download the app and answer a few multiple-choice questions.
Based on the provided responses, attendees would be divided into groups with others who have shared interests. The experience created an atmosphere where individuals felt comfortable breaking the ice.
The pair quickly built a community of friends and followers after the co-founders received $100K in seed funding during the Rise of the Rest Tour pitch competition in 2018. Mixtroz is the only business from Alabama to win the competition.
They garnered national attention becoming the 37th and 38th Black women in the United States to raise over one million dollars in venture capital.
Arthur Harold Parker High School Thundering Herd -- 2024 Class 6A Champions. (Solomon Crenshaw Jr., For The Birmingham Times)
By Solomon Crenshaw Jr. | For The Birmingham Times
For the first time in the storied 125-year history of Arthur Harold Parker High School, the Thundering Herd football program is now known by a new title – state champions.
Forty-four years after losing by two points in a championship at Legion Field, Parker downed perennial power Saraland 28-17 in the Class 6A championship game at Birmingham’s Protective Stadium.
Parker (14-1) led 21-17 late in the fourth quarter. The Herd had fourth down and 9 from the Spartan 16. Rather than kicking a field goal, coach Frank Warren erased all doubt by going for the first down, which Timothy Merritt picked up to extend a drive that ended with Na’eem Offord’s game-clinching 2-yard touchdown run.
There was no way Warren was going to give Saraland (13-1) the ball back with a chance to tie or win.
Na’eem Offord led the Thundering Herd offense with 98 yards and two TDs on 16 carries. (Solomon Crenshaw Jr., For The Birmingham Times)
“I knew they were gonna have to stop us,” the coach said. “The play we (called) we put in on Tuesday with two of the best athletes on the team. I knew people were going to go to Na’eem with the fake and another athlete Tim [Merritt] with the ball.
“I knew that play was going to work,” Warren continued. “We scored on the first drive with that play. I knew it was going to work again.”
Parker, which won the Black high school national championship in the 1963-64 school year, held a 14-0 lead after one quarter on Merritt’s TD runs of 14 and 6 yards.
“That was big (because) Saraland has a high-powered offense,” Warren said. “At halftime, I told them they had to play Parker football at the finish. This is the last 24 (minutes) of some of your careers. You’re always going to be remembered as a champion. They played their hearts out in the second half.”
Offord led the Thundering Herd offense with 98 yards and two TDs on 16 carries. Quarterback Dylan Reese completed 6 of 11 passes for 74 yards.
Na’eem Offord, left, and defensive lineman Jourdin Crawford, who earned game MVP honors with six total sacks, five unassisted, with three sacks and 4½ tackles for loss. (Solomon Crenshaw Jr., For The Birmingham Times)
Defensive lineman Jourdin Crawford earned game MVP honors with six total sacks, five unassisted, with three sacks and 4½ tackles for loss.
“It’s really for my team,” Crawford said of his honor. “If it wasn’t for my team, I wouldn’t even have it right now. They covered all night. We rushed the passer all night. It was just meant to be.”
Offord, the state’s No. 1 senior prospect, flipped his commitment from Ohio State to Oregon on signing day Wednesday. But that decision didn’t distract him from the task at hand.
“I knew I had a big game ahead of me so I knew I had to focus,” he said. “I can’t let that one thing just lock me out. I had to help my team do what I had to do (and) block it out.”
Warren, his assistant coaches and a few players returned to the playing field after their postgame press conference to record the moment in pictures. The coach was still damp from having a water cooler emptied on him as time ran down.
It was the best shower he’s ever had.
“It felt great. It cleansed a lot of stuff for me, what I did in my life, what I’ve done, how hard I worked,” Warren said. “This is one of the best feelings you can ever have. I want to appreciate my coaches, my team, administrators, the fans and especially my wife and kids that sacrifice a lot for me to do what I need to be successful.”
Saraland coach Jeff Kelly gave all credit to the team in purple and white.
“Give credit to Parker,” he said. “They have an incredibly talented team. They made the plays necessary to win. They’re an outstanding team and they made it tough. On both sides of the ball, they were a physical team. They earned the win tonight.”
Parker’s elite defense held a Saraland team that averages 42.9 points to just 17. University of Texas signee KJ Lacey completed 11 of 24 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns while being picked once. Santae McWilliams added 11 carries for 29 yards.
Saraland has now finished as runner-up in the Class 6A title for the last two seasons.
In a statement, the company said that it has “determined that the future of Powell Avenue should be led by a team with more expertise in commercial development.”
The decision came after “much consideration and more than a decade of hard work.”
“We will be publicly listing the property for sale to identify the best group to bring this project to completion,” the statement reads. “We will do our best to ensure the eventual buyer develops the property in a way that benefits Birmingham. We remain committed to making this historic landmark, located in the heart of the city, something we can all be proud of for decades to come.”
Alabama Power and Orchestra Partners, a Birmingham-area real estate development group, announced a plan back in February 2022 to redevelop the steam plant as part of a general project for Parkside.
Hunter Renfroe, principal with Orchestra Partners, said the company is “very excited” that the property is being listed for sale.
“This site is a critical piece to the revitalization of Birmingham, along with our development of Urban Supply on the other side of the park,” Renfroe said. “Together, these two projects will bookend Railroad Park with dense, pedestrian-friendly retail and outdoor spaces that will foster connection. We’re confident that Alabama Power will continue to be a great steward of Birmingham by ensuring that any purchaser of the Steam Plant follows a development plan that prioritizes street-level vibrancy and walkability.”
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema was to be the anchor tenant at the Powell Steam Plant in downtown Birmingham, Ala. The theater was expected to open in the fall of 2023.
At that time, Alabama Power released a statement saying that it and Orchestra Partners “remain committed to the City’s growth and long-term success, and we look forward to great things ahead.”
The Powell Avenue Steam Plant was built in 1895 by the Consolidated Electric Light & Power Co. It provided steam and electricity for downtown and powered the city streetcar system.
The plant was acquired by Alabama Power in 1952 when the two companies merged. The building was added in 2015 to the National Register of Historic Places.
Several attempts have been made to revitalize the property over the last decade. The Alamo Drafthouse redevelopment was the third incarnation of a plan to redevelop the property. Orchestra Partners first unveiled a redevelopment in 2019, and before that, Alabama Power announced its own.
The city says hundreds of families are able to receive toys each year through the Magic City Toy Drive. (Adobe Stock)
BY HANNAH ECHOLS | UAB News
Tis the season for holiday shopping and finding that special gift for friends and family. For those buying for children, picking out the perfect toy could prevent an unwanted trip to the hospital.
In 2022, an estimated 209,500 toy-related injuries were treated in hospital emergency departments in the United States. To keep the season fun and safe, experts from the University of Alabama at Birmingham provide tips for buying toys for kids during this gift-giving time.
PICK AGE-APPROPRIATE TOYS
“When picking out toys, parents should first consider the child’s age and look for toys that are age-appropriate,” said Candice Dye, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at UAB and Children’s of Alabama. “Most toys have age ranges and warning labels displayed on the packaging.”
Toys for younger children should be free of small parts. If older children have toys with small parts, keep them out of reach of the younger children.
FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS
Carefully reading and following assembly instructions can ensure toy parts are correctly secured. This can help parents recognize any potential choking hazards, such as small removable parts.
For older children who may be riding a bike or using a scooter or rollerblades, make sure they are wearing appropriate safety equipment like a helmet and knee pads, Dye says.
BE CAUTIOUS OF BATTERIES AND CORDS
Toys that make noise and/or move often contain a battery. Parents should double check that battery storage areas are secured and cannot be opened by a child. Batteries are choking hazards, particularly small button batteries. The chemicals in a battery are dangerous for children and could cause burns.
Toys with long strings or cords are dangerous for infants and young children.
“The cords can become wrapped around an infant’s neck, causing strangulation,” Dye said. “The same could happen with ribbon you use for wrapping gifts or the string on balloons.”
If a child swallows a battery, parents should call 911 and get to the emergency department immediately.
AVOID EYE HAZARDS
Eye safety is another important factor to consider when holiday shopping. Tamara Oechslin, O.D., Ph.D., associate professor at the UAB School of Optometry, recommends being cautious around toys with small parts, sharp edges, and projectile or moving parts.
Oechslin suggests opting for toys that help hand-eye coordination and visual development. She suggests avoiding screens as prolonged exposure can cause eye fatigue, eye irritation and headaches due to the increased demand on the visual system and the tendency to blink less while using them.
“There are many toys for all ages levels that are good for developing eye-hand coordination and perceptual development — think sports-related, puzzles, blocks, anything that requires pattern recognition. Others can include crafts and creative visualization,” Oechslin said.
If a child sustains an eye injury from toys or presents, parents should contact their family eye care professional. If a foreign body is in the eye, it may be best to leave it for a professional to remove so that further damage does not occur. Even if it is a hit to the eye, such as with a ball or other blunt object, an eye injury should be taken seriously as there may be internal damage that is not initially obvious.
