Friday, December 2, 2016

News Release for Toy Deliveries - December 2016

Press Release for the RCWA Toy Deliveries – December 2016

For the 9th year in a row, the Rapid City Woodworkers Association will be donating handmade wooden toys to local groups who work with children in South Dakota.  The following organizations are on the list this year:
Rapid City Area:
Youth & Family Services - Prenatal to Five Headstart Programs (12 locations)
The Club for Boys
Black Hills Area Habitat for Humanity
Working Against Violence Inc (2 deliveries)
Ellsworth Air Force Base - Airmen and Family Readiness Center (2 deliveries)
Ellsworth Air Force Base - Youth Programs (2 deliveries)
South Dakota National Guards - SD Family Assistance Center – 155th En Co
The HOPE Center
LOVE Inc.
Eagle Butte, SDCheyenne River Youth Project

The Toymakers in the Rapid City Woodworking Association (RCWA) have been working all year to finish the toys in time for Christmas giving.  This year, this small group of 32 Toymakers finished 3,144 handcrafted wooden toys.  Many toys were given to children at special events during the year, but 2,161 toys will be delivered next week to local charitable organizations who work with children in South Dakota

The toys for Christmas giving will be packed for delivery this Saturday morning Dec 3, 2016, in the shop at the Club for Boys, and then delivered (at no cost) to 21 groups in South Dakota.   Most of the toys will be delivered that same day.  The last group of toys will be delivered on Tuesday Dec 6, 2016, at 9 am to the Youth and Family Services office on Plaza Drive in Rapid City.  There we will have an opportunity to pass out the toys directly to the children at the facility.
In 2008, the group made and gave over 400 toys to the Club for Boys, WAVI, and Benji’s House.  The number of toys produced since then has increased each year.  For those interested in numbers, a summary of the toy making progress is shown below:

Year
Toys
2008
400
2009
1260
2010
1430
2011
1620
2012
2001
2013
2271
2014
2519
  2015
2769
  2016
3144

17,459
The organization receiving a large portion of the toys is the Youth and Family Services in the Black Hills.  Over 725 children are involved in the Youth and Family Services in the Black Hills from as far north as Spearfish and as far south as Edgemont.  The woodworkers have received very positive feedback from all groups that have received the toys, as they are excited that they have been included in our toy program.  Also this year, we are giving toys to the Cheyenne River Youth Project in Eagle Butte who are conducting a Christmas Toy Drive to fill Santa’s lists for close to 1,500 kids in their area.

If anyone would like to help build and assemble toys for the 2017 Toy Program, we can always use an extra hand.  Members donate their time and equipment, but we can use donations of surplus wood or monetary donations for operating expenses.  We moved our Toymaking shop to the Club for Boys at 320 N 4th Street St in Rapid City, SD in 2013.  This has given us additional opportunities to work directly with kids on woodworking projects.  Call Bob Buchanan at 348-2865 or check our website  http://www.sdwoodworker.org/ for more information:  Monetary donations can be mailed to our RCWA Treasurer, Julian Wigen at 255 Texas Street Apt 460, Rapid City, SD 57701.

The mission of the RCWA is to promote woodworking safety, skills and knowledge, for the amateur, professional and student craftsperson.  The RCWA was formed to meet the needs of the woodworkers in the Rapid City area.  We meet on the 2nd Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m. at the Our Redeemer Lutheran Church at 910 Wood Ave in Rapid City.  We cordially invite men and women of all ages who have an interest in woodworking to attend our meetings.  No experience is necessary for membership.  Membership dues are $25 a year.  Please come and share the experience, ideas, techniques and the mutual enjoyment of creating with wood.

The RCWA is a local chapter of the South Dakota Woodworkers Guild.  The RCWA exists for two main reasons: (1) To exchange information that will enhance the enjoyment and skills of woodworking; and (2) To promote woodworking as a hobby, as a profession, or anywhere in between.  This includes promoting woodworking safety, teaching and helping other members, enhancing the quality of life for underprivileged children of the Black Hills by making and distributing wooden toys to charitable organizations in the local area, and supporting community service organizations thru volunteer woodworking activities. 

For more information, contact Bob Buchanan at (605) 348-2865 or Rick Weisbeck at (605) 431-7375.  Or go to our website at www.sdwoodworker.org.



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