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Thursday, February 24, 2011
A new toy created by a Dyer couple is doing its part to help an "American Idol" contestant's girlfriend who was seriously injured in a car accident.
Faithboy is a bobblehead doll and the first roll-out of Dyer couple Kim and David Goldsmith's Christian toy company, His Kidz Toys. In all, 100 custom-made pink Faithboys are being sold to help the recovery of Juliana Ramos, a cousin of the Goldsmiths through marriage.
Ramos, as many television viewers know, is the girlfriend of "American Idol" contestant Chris Medina. The Oak Forest, Ill., couple was making wedding plans when Ramos suffered traumatic injuries in a car accident in October 2009. Their story brought tears not only to Idol judges Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez but to millions of viewers around the world.
At least one gossip website is reporting that Medina will be eliminated from Idol on tonight's broadcast. The Goldsmiths also heard the rumor.
"Chris' 'American Idol' journey may be over, but the journey of his love and compassion for Juliana and his music will keep on going," David Goldsmith said.
Goldsmith has had quite a journey of his own, collecting vintage toys for nearly 30 years. It led to the creation of His Kidz Toys a few years ago and the launch of Faithboy at the Ignite Festival last summer in Chicago.
Faithboy — who dons kid-friendly Converse Chuck Taylor shoes, "wears the armor of God" and carries a Bible stamped with a glow-in-the-dark cross — has been well received, Goldsmith said.
"It's starting to grow," he said. "People who have them love them."
Faithboy is manufactured by Funko, which Goldsmith said generously helped by sending 3,000 Faithboys to the Goldsmiths' house and charging them only the cost of the bobblehead.
"The owner said, 'Just pay me when you get the money,'" Goldsmith said.
Goldsmith said he's still a long way from making money off the toy but "success is intangible."
"It's done enough, but I'd still love it to go farther so I can do better things through my faith," he said.
Faithboy has made an appearance on the website of popular Christian music artist Jeremy Camp. In October the Goldsmiths attended a concert by Camp and got some of the bobbleheads in the hands of Camp's manager, not knowing whether they would ever make way to the singer. A few weeks later, Faithboy was in the hands of and being talked about by Camp's drummer in a video blog.
The Goldsmiths hope to start a comic book and children's book starring Faithboy. A Faithgirl also is being developed.
* this article borrowed from the NWI Times.
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