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The Direct Selling Association will be on hand this week to help the Today Show kick off their annual Toy Drive. The 15th Annual TODAY Show Holiday Toy Drive will be launched Monday November 24th at 8:30 AM. This will be the fifth year that the DSA has been a part of the annual drive.

The DSA will kick off the drive by presenting the direct selling industry’s donation live in Rockefeller Plaza. Thirty two direct selling companies have come together to donate products to the drive, the total donation coming in at over $9 million dollars in products. Seven of the DSA’s companies will be featured in spots on the TODAY show during the holiday season.

Items donated include books, clothing, toiletries and of course toys for children and families all across the United States. Over the past five years, DSA member companies have donated over $37 million dollars in cash, product and services to the Toy Drive.

This is a a brilliant move on the part of the DSA and the member companies that are a part of this. Given the economic times, network marketing companies are going to continue to thrive as more and more people seek additional forms of income.

The following direct selling companies donated products to this year’s Toy Drive:
4Life
Advocare
Amway
Arbonne
Avon Products, Inc
Blessings Unlimited
Butterfly Worldwide, LLC
Clever Container
Cookie Lee
Creative Memories
CUTCO
DeMarle at Home
DeTech
Essential Bodywear
Fifth Avenue Collection
The Happy Gardener
lia sophia
The Longaberger Company
Mary Kay Inc
National Companies
Nature’s Sunshine
Oxyfresh
The Pampered Chef
PartyLite Gifts
Purse Party, Inc
Shaklee Corporation
Signature HomeStyles
Southern Living at Home
The Southwestern Company
Stampin’ Up!
UDesign Jewelry
Vantel Pearls

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In DSA News, The 2008 The Direct Selling Association Industry Awards have been presented for achievement in innovation, partnership, community service and program excellence. The annual awards, were given to four companies during a recent meeting in Phoenix, Arizona. The companies honored were, AdvoCare International, Direct Selling News, Herbalife, and Learning is an Art.

During the Annual Ceremony, the DSA also inducted its newest members to its Direct Selling Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame recognizes those who have given years of service to the industry and have made significant contribution to the DSA and its Direct Selling Education Foundation.

The newest Hall of Famer is Brian Connolly who worked at Avon for 30 years, starting as a Financial Analyst for the beauty Company and moving up the ladder to eventually VP of Sales and Operations, then President of Avon U.S. and just before retiring served as Executive VP of Avon North America. Connolly formerly served the DSA as a Chairman of its Board of Directors.

You can go to the DSA website to check out the companies honored and the achievements they were recognized for. Clearly you wont find Weekenders on that list - even though they were an active member of the DSA prior to them going out of business.

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