“The Blizzard of 2006″ couldn’t keep the world’s favorite construction toy maker from trumpeting its latest product offerings at this year’s American International Toyfair.

Like sands through the hourglass, so are the snow days of our lives.

Whether a pesky case of flurries or a full-on blizzard like the East Coast experienced this past weekend, snow means consumers will stop at nothing to stock up on hundreds of dollars worth of condensed soup, bottled water, snow shovels and, um…LEGOs.

You see, while most of us Right Coasters were hunkering down, waiting for “The Blizzard of 2006″ to pass, LEGO deemed it the perfect time to unleash not one, not two, but three different announcements at the American International Toy Fair in New York City. Alas, all major airports were shut down, so the announcements surely echoed nicely within the empty confines of the cavernous Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Anyhow…

In the first announcement, Soeren Torp Laursen, President, LEGO Americas, Pacific, Direct said consumer demand for LEGO branded construction toys is higher than ever and that the future of the company lies squarely in product innovation. Laursen says LEGO has spent the last two years working dilligently to re-focus the LEGO business on its “unrivaled strengths” which are construction sets. “Moving forward, we will deepen our position as the leading construction toy brand with a balanced, innovative portfolio of construction sets that deliver the best and most fun building experience in the market for builders of all ages,” said Laursen.

This nutty Danish fella just might be on to something.

Coming in August, for instance, LEGO will release Mindstorms NXT which allows users to build and program robots with a 32-bit microprocessor and Bluetooth. The set also includes four sensors, three motors, LEGO TECHNIC pieces and completely new PC/Mac compatible programming software. Hardly sounds like the LEGO of yesteryear.

LEGO also said it has an agreement with Lucasfilm Ltd. to extend its Star Wars franchise license to 2011. Under the agreement, the LEGO Group will continue its construction toy rights to the entire Star Wars galaxy, including an all-new Star Wars animated television series currently in development. In 1999, Star Wars became the very first licensed property in the LEGO Group’s portfolio and it continues to be one of the company’s best-selling properties. Since the LEGO Group translated Star Wars into the construction play pattern, the line has generated more than $1 billion in retail sales around the world.

“Putting Star Wars and LEGO together has proven to be one of the greatest examples of co-branding ever achieved,” said Howard Roffman, President of Lucas Licensing. “We’re proud to continue this phenomenal legacy.”

While nothing says humble like the words “greatest”, “phenomenal” and “legacy”, LEGO’s third announcement is one to warm the heart. Or maybe it’s just a ploy to recycle old-school LEGO stock in order to make room for the aforementioned cool stuff. Either way, LEGO is asking people to dig into their toy chests and unload, I mean, send LEGO bricks to help children in New Orleans imagine and rebuild for the future. The company plans to collect the bricks and make a brick-for-brick matching donation to New Orleans schools. Some of the bricks will be used to construct a model of the rebuilt city, as envisioned by local New Orleans children and kids across the country, to be donated to the city as a public work of art.

LEGO bricks will be collected through August 31, 2006. For information on where to send bricks, or if you are a New Orleans school who wishes to participate in the program, log onto www.LEGObuildersoftomorrow.com.