Saturday, December 6, 2014

Toy Packing Day - Dec 6, 2014

Press Release for the RCWA Toy Deliveries – Dec 6, 2014

For the 7th year in a row, the Rapid City Woodworkers Association will be donating handmade wooden toys to organizations in South Dakota.  The following organizations are on the list this year:

Rapid City:

  • Youth and Family Services - Prenatal to Five Headstart Programs (9 at various locations)
  • Black Hills Area Habitat for Humanity
  • Working Against Violence Inc
  • Ellsworth Air Force Base - Airmen and Family Readiness Center
  • The HOPE Center
  • LOVE Inc.
Cheyenne River Youth Project – Eagle Butte, SD
Needs Free - Sioux Falls, SD

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 20 Toymakers finished over 2000 handcrafted wooden toys, all of which will be delivered next week to local charitable organizations who work with children in the Black Hills and Sioux Falls areas. 

The toys made this year will be packed for delivery this Saturday morning Dec 6, 2014, in the shop at the Club for Boys and then delivered (at no cost) to 16 organizations in South Dakota.   Most of the toys will be delivered that same day.  The last group of toys will be delivered on Tuesday, Dec 9, 2014, at 9 am to the Youth and Family Services office on Plaza Drive in Rapid City.  We will also have an opportunity to pass out the toys to the children at the facility.

To see photos of the toy packing day, click here:  TOY PACKING DAY PHOTOS

History of the Toy Making Program

In 2008, the group made and gave over 400 toys for 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

11,501
The organization receiving a third of the toys is the Youth and Family Services in the Black Hills.  Almost 700 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 organizations that have received the toys; they are excited that they have been included in our toy program.  A large number of the toys will be delivered to an organization called Needs Free in Sioux Falls.  This organization works with a large number of child-oriented programs.  This year we are giving a large number of 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 2015 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 have moved our Toymaking shop to the Club for Boys at 320 N 4th Street St in Rapid City, SD last year.  This gives 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 3010 Morningview Drive in Rapid City, SD, 57702.

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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