Press Release - Toy Program Summary 2010

Press Release for the RCWA Toy Deliveries – Dec 13, 2010

NOTE: This is a follow-up to a story published in the Rapid City Journal on Page D7 on October 14, 2009 titled Group offers workshops in woodworking.

The Toymakers in the Rapid City Woodworking Association (RCWA) completed a series of workshops this past weekend - Dec 4, 2010. The group of ten toymakers finished over 1400 handcrafted wooden toys which are being delivered this week (Dec 5 - 13, 2010). The individuals working on the Toy Program make handmade holiday gifts and wooden toys to give to charitable organizations in the local area. Members have been working year around in their own garages as well as in monthly Saturday Toy Workshops to produce these quality wooden toys.

The toys are ready in time for Christmas giving. The toys are being distributed (at no cost) to various organizations in the area. In 2008, we made and distributed over 300 toys for the Club for Boys, WAVI, and Benji’s House. In 2009, we made and distributed more than 1,200 toys to children in The Club for Boys, Benji’s House, Working Against Violence Inc (WAVI), Youth and Family Services, Black Hills Area Habitat for Humanity, Ellsworth AFB Airmen and Family Readiness Center, and Needs Free in the Sioux Falls area. This year, 2010, we made and distributed 1430 toys to The Club for Boys, Benji’s House, Working Against Violence (WAVI), Youth and Family Services, Black Hills Area Habitat for Humanity, Court Appointed Special Advocates Association (CASA), and Needs Free in the Sioux Falls area. More than 730 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. We have received very positive feedback from all organizations that have received the toys, and they are very excited that they have been included in our toy program.

Saturday morning workshops were held in the RCWA Shop in the basement at 910 Wood Ave. You can get answers to any questions by calling Bob Buchanan at 348-2865 or Roger Bares at 484-3498.

If anyone would like to help build and assemble toys for the 2011 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. 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, Roger Bares at 834 Farlow in Rapid City, SD, 57701 or dropped off at the Our Redeemer Lutheran Church office at 910 Wood Ave in Rapid City.

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 $18 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 Roger Bares at (605) 484-3498. Or go to our website at http://www.sdwoodworker.org/.

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December 2010 - Christmas Potluck Dinner

The RCWA held their Christmas Potluck Dinner tonight at 6 pm at the Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Rapid City with about 20 people in attendance.

Toy Distribution at YFS - Dec 13, 2010

Seven members of the RCWA delivered toys to the Youth and Family Services in Rapid City on Monday December 13th at 9 am.

Local TV Spots about the Toy Program:

RC Woodworkers Make Wooden Toys for YFS Kids
LINK: http://www.blackhillsfox.com/2010/12/13/RC-Woodworkers-makes-wooden-toys-for-YFS-kids


RC Woodworkers Bring Holiday Cheer
LINK: http://www.newscenter1.tv/stories/7248.aspx

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TOY PACKING DAY - Dec 4, 2010

During the past week, Rick Weisbeck and Roger Bares put the final finish on the tractors, bringing the year 2010 of toymaking to a close. So with all toys completed, it was time to pack them in boxes for delivery to 12 organizations in the Black Hills and Sioux Falls area.

Members on hand to pack toys included:

Back Row: Harley Schmadeke, Larry Deibert, Julian Wigen, and Ron Dolin

Front Row: Rick Weisbeck, Kathie Buchanan, Grant Coffin, Lauren Levin, and Bob Buchanan

Others (not pictured) who assisted in toy making during 2010 included:

Gary and Trish Graves, Lon Gose, Roger and Joan Bares, Gary and Denise Kohama, Judy Levin, Mary Coffin, Linda Deibert, Jim Tolley, and Tom Parsons.

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Toy Workshop - November 27, 2010

On the Wednesday prior to the Saturday Nov 27 workshop, a group of toymakers (Lauren, Bob and Kathie) applied sanding sealer to the flat cup and ball games, the turned cup and ball games, and all the basketball games in Bob's Shop. Then on Friday, another group (Lauren, Gary, Bob and Kathie) traveled to Black Hawk to use the spray booth in Wilkinson Custom Cabinets so generously offered by owner Chuck, to put on the final finish of lacquer on the games.

The two main goals for the toy workshop held on Saturday Nov 27 at 9 am at the RCWA Shop at 910 Wood Ave in Rapid City was (1) to install the ball and string assemblies on about 100 basketball games, about 40 flat ball and cup games, about 30 turned cup and ball games, and (2) to fill over 160 handsewn cloth bags with 4 each scrollsawn critters.

Toymakers attending today's workshop included: Harley, Julian, Grant, Gary, Lauren, Kathie, Judy, Denise, Larry, Gary Graves and Bob.

Every basketball game was subjected to a full functional test.

The handsewn cloth bags have been under construction since January 2010. Designed by Kathie, she was assisted in production by Trish Graves, Judy Levin, and Mary Coffin. Judy and Denise Kohama assisted Kathie with the bag filling effort today at the workshop.

This was the final workshop for the year... with only a few toys left to finish.

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Toy Workshop - November 20, 2010

Getting closer...

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Toy Workshop - Nov 13th, 2010

The weekly toy workshop held on Nov 13th concentrated on car/crayon van wheel assemblying, sanding, attaching crayons to crayon vans, cutting strings for the games, and preparing wooden balls to be attached to the strings for installing on the ball and cup games and to the basketball games.

Julian drilled the dual holes in over 200 1 inch wooden balls. Lauren cut over 200 strings for the ball and string assemblies needed for the cup and ball and basketball games. He also cut over 160 strings to put in the handsewn cloth bags for the animal cutouts.

Harley finished up several boxes of wheeled vehicles including small cars and the crayon vans.

The very popular mouse sander was used by Kathie to finish off lots of animal cutouts and puzzles.

During the week following the workshop, there was a lot of activity in toymaker's shops and kitchens preparing more parts for toys to be assembled the following weekend.

Activities included installing strings in wooden balls, drilling holes in basketball parts, and sanding parts.

Larry and Linda spent the morning gluing strings in over 200 wooden balls for the ball and cup games and the basketball games.

Lauren drilled holes in the launchers for the screw that attaches them to the basketball game base.

Lauren drilled dual holes in the bases of the basketball games to accept the string and ball assemblies. Bob drilled 1/2 inch holes in the backboards and bases to accept the 1/2 inch posts.

Bob installed launchers and post adapters to the bases of the basketball games, and cut dowels to length for the 1/2 inch posts.

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November 2010 General Meeting of the RCWA

Greetings to the woodworkers of the Black Hills! This month has been all about toys – as the Toymakers prepare for deliveries in mid-December.

November's general meeting was held on Monday November 8th at 910 Wood Ave at 7 pm. This was fireside at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Rapid City, SD.

The November 8th meeting included a short business meeting followed by chocolate chip - pumpkin cookies, and the Show and Tell.

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Toy Workshops - October 30 and Nov 6, 2010

Gary Graves has been busy in his shop making a very attractive line of small vehicles for small kids. He has been recycling some clear pine from a "long time ago window factory" in Sturgis. At the toy workshops held at the RCWA Shop in Rapid City on Saturdays Oct 30 and Nov 6, toymakers installed wheels on these vehicles.

Puzzles and animal cutouts were sanded in the beautiful sunshine outside the shop.

Julian drilled the three different sized holes in the flat cup and ball games using Forstner bits.

The basketball hoops were made on a CNC router machine by J&D Woodworks Inc in Black Hawk, SD.

More puzzles and animal cutouts were sanded in the beautiful sunshine outside the shop.

Bases for the basketball games were prepared from recycled hardwood window trimmings donated by Black Hills residents Dean and Betty Larson of Silver City.

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