Rapid City Woodworkers Association (RCWA): ANNOUNCEMENT

Saturday, May 4, 2024

Hud-son Portable Sawmill Demonstration 5.4.2024

Demo Location: HTR Black Hills campground

13752 S Hiway 16

Rapid City, SD

If you want more info call Shawn (716) 418-0104 or Tony,

check the website at www.hud-son.com, or phone 800-765-SAWS.

For more information, go to www.rapidcitywoodworkers.com.

RCWA

Friday, December 1, 2023

Press Release for the RCWA Toy Deliveries – December 2, 2023

Press Release for the RCWA Toy Deliveries – December 2023

For the 16th year in a row, the Rapid City Woodworkers Association (RCWA) 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, SD
Youth and Family Services - Prenatal to Five Headstart
Black Hills Area Habitat for Humanity
Cornerstone APARTMENTS
Black Hills Pregnancy Center
Airmen and Family Readiness Center, EAFB
Black Hills Chaplains Association (BHCA)
The Club for Boys
Catholic Social Services
The HOPE Center
SD National Guard
EAFB Youth Programs, EAFB
Working Against Violence Inc
Monument Pediatrics

Other Locations:
Beatrice Schools, Beatrice, NE
Cheyenne River Youth Project, Eagle Butte, SD
First Methodist Church - Irwin, PA
South Dakota Veterans Home, Hot Springs, SD
Foster Parent Association of the Northern Hills, Spearfish, SD
Kinship Mountain Ministries, Sturgis, SD
St. Joseph's Indian School, Chamberlain, SD
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), PA

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 group of 40 active Toymakers finished 4,263 handcrafted wooden toys. Many toys were given to children at special events during the year, but 3,376 toys will be delivered to local charitable organizations who work with children in South Dakota and beyond, this week.

The toys for Christmas giving will be packed for delivery on Saturday morning Dec 2, 2023, in the Wood Shop in the basement of the annex to the Our Redeemer Lutheran Church at 910 Wood Ave in Rapid City, SD. They will be delivered (at no cost) to 30 groups in South Dakota. Most of the toys will be delivered that same day.

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. The number of individuals involved in the program has increased as well. For those interested in numbers, a summary of the toy making progress is shown to the right:

One organization receiving a portion of the toys is the Youth and Family Services in the Black Hills. Over 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 groups that have received the toys, as they are excited that they have been included in our toy program. Another group receiving toys is the Cheyenne River Youth Project in Eagle Butte who are conducting a Christmas Toy Drive to fill Santa’s lists for about 1,500 kids in their area. The military groups in our community are also given toys, including EAFB Airmen and Family Readiness Center, and EAFB Youth Programs, the South Dakota National Guards, and the South Dakota Veterans Home.

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We have completed all of the toys for 2023, but if anyone would like to help build and assemble toys for the 2024 Toy Program, we can always use an extra hand. Members donate their time and equipment, but we can also use donations of surplus wood or monetary donations for operating expenses. We moved our Toymaking shop to the WOOD SHOP in the annex to Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Rapid City, SD in August 2021. Call Bob Buchanan at 348-2865 or Rick Weisbeck at 605 431-4708 or check our website http://www.rapidcitywoodworkers.com for more information: Monetary donations can be mailed to our RCWA Treasurer Tony Verchio at 143 Rainbow Ridge Ct, Hill City, SD, 57745.

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 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) 431-4708. Or go to our website at http://www.rapidcitywoodworkers.com.

Saturday, November 18, 2023

Toymaking 2023 is Complete 11.17.2023

Subject: Toy Distribution is Saturday Dec 2, 2023

This is to let you know that we have finished making toys for 2023. We completed over 3,350 toys this year. So, our next get-together will be on Toy Packing and Distribution Day Dec 2, 2023. Please come at 8:30 am to set up or 9:45 to help pack and distribute. Thank you for all your help and support this year!

Bob and Kathie

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Cradles completed and paddle games completed:

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For more information, go to www.rapidcitywoodworkers.com.

RCWA

Tuesday, April 25, 2023

General info - 2023 Schedule

Here's the dates/times for get togethers:

2nd Monday of Month at 7pm: General Mtg at Annex

3rd Thursday at 1pm: SS SIG at Rick Weisbeck's

Last Wednesday of Month at 1 pm: Woodturning SIG at Brown's

Toy Workshops: 2nd and 4th Saturday at 9 to noon at Wood Shop (910 Wood Ave)

For Visual Learners:

For more information, go to www.rapidcitywoodworkers.com.

RCWA

Sunday, December 11, 2022

Wheels and Axles - for 2023 - In Place - 12.9.2022

We have depleted our stock of wheels. Our last order was in April 2021. During the pandemic years we didn't use as many wheels, because almost all Community Events were cancelled. We used the last box of wheels at our last toy workshop.

Jim Brown stopped by the Smith Wood Products warehouse in Texas last week and picked up our order. He delivered it on Friday to the RV Barn. So, many thanks to Jim for picking up the wood parts and saving us the freight charges. And thanks to Maggie for letting Jim drive her Delivery Truck home from Texas!

Maggie's Delivery Truck