Toys for Tots 2001 Final Report (year 16)

 

     There were sixty-seven active TWA members participating in this year’s Toys for Tots program, making 1,753 toys.  I hope all of you will take a moment on Christmas morning to think of all the children that will be receiving the fruits of our labor.  I always do and it is a major part of what keeps me motivated.  The other thing that keeps me going is the opportunity to make saw dust with some good friends of whom I grow fonder with each year.

     I would like to encourage the members who could not participate this year to make a serious effort to participate next year.  Even if you only make one toy, you will know you have helped one child in need to have a better Christmas.

     The workshop participants have really honed their skills.  Each year we have seen improvements in process and products.  Many of the toys this year were awesome.

     We had seven club-sponsored workshops.  Bob Gabor sponsored two and made doll cradles.  Diane Caudill and Sue Eckard sponsored two and made bears, Pinocchios, and rocking horses.   Hal Liberty sponsored two workshops and made airplanes.  Hal said he keeps improving his process and design.  I will say that this year’s were excellent, and the addition of an American flag on each was moving.

     Our seventh workshop was our annual Cary Home Depot workshop.  This was our seventh year of having a workshop at the Cary Home Depot.

     I would like to thank Pete Hodges for working all day with me, getting toys ready for the workshop.  As usual, we made toys partially finished for every workstation, allowing a full start at 9:00 AM.  At the end of the day thirty TWA members and some assisting assemblers from the public, mostly children, had made five hundred twenty five Volkswagens.

     Dave Mackie, along with Jane Main and Charlie Main, took the partially completed toys and finished the job at Dave’s workshop.  Taylor Hattori, Dave Hattori’s daughter, asked to help and completed and assembled an additional forty at home.

     We also collected many more toys at our annual meeting.  Dick Hall brought in a whopping three hundred sixty cars!  GO Dick!  Charles Davis delivered his, now famous, cedar trucks and cars.  Dick Courtney came in with a box full of pick up trucks.  Walt Novinger and Rufus Cotton also made individual contributions that will make any child happy.

     The annual meeting was a huge success.  We had time for socializing, a guest speaker, and a lot of show and tell.  There were one hundred one people in attendance, a record as far as I know.

     Thank you for all your help I look forward to actively participating next year under the leadership of Rob Zaccardi, the year 2002 chairman of the TWA Toys for Tots Committee.

 

Submitted by Fred Ford

Chairman of the TWA Toys for Tots Program