Maury Povich breezed through the inner doors of the Stamford Media Center early Thursday afternoon. The waiting audience stirred. The TV star grinned his famous grin. Just a little longer before the next show’s taping, he told the crowd. First, he had to wrap a gift or two.

“We’re going to give away a lot of gifts to people who need it,” Povich said.

He was taking a quick break from taping “Maury,” his often-raucous syndicated talk show that relocated from New York City to Stamford last year. The NBC Universal-distributed program is taped here every Thursday and Friday. Povich commutes from his home in New York.

Yesterday he lent his time and celebrity to St. Luke’s LifeWorks’ 2010 Holiday Gift Collection. The agency has been collecting donated toys for Fairfield County’s needy children. The goal is to provide 2,500 youngsters – many of whom have or have been touched by HIV/AIDS -- with gifts this Christmas.

Each year the organization holds a large “wrapping party,” where hundreds of volunteers wrap gifts that will go to 35 agencies throughout the county for distribution. A session took place Dec. 4, and another will be held Dec. 11.

After placing a Santa’s cap on his head and wrapping a gift, Povich steered a wagon-load of presents out to a waiting truck and helped place the gifts inside.

“This is just a small token of our appreciation” for his show’s success in Stamford, Povich said about participating in the event.

Gift collection sponsors include Ed McGettigan, Two Men and a Truck, Purdue Pharma, Sena & Jahelka, Demasco and TFI Envision, Inc., among others.

SLLW Volunteer Patrick Power lauded Povich’s help publicizing the gift collection.

“It’s all about the kids,” he said.

What do you think of Maury's good deed? Are you volunteering for a charity this holiday season? Has a Stamford agency been of particular help to you or a loved one? Questions on this story? Comments? Contact Felicia at .