St. Leonard seeks materials for wooden toy cars

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By Meredith Moss, Staff Writer 9:23 PM Saturday, December 24, 2011

The seniors at St. Leonard have come up with a terrific new project and you can help ensure its continuation.

The idea for producing wooden toy cars for needy kids came from Kettering resident Bernie Thompson.

“He approached me about the Toys for God’s Kids idea and asked if our residents would be open to using our woodworking shop at St. Leonard to make wooden toy cars for charity,” says volunteer services coordinator Kate Quigley.

St. Leonard, one of the largest senior living communities in the United States, is sponsored by the Sisters of St. Francis. It’s located on 240 acres in Centerville and serves 760 seniors. More than 600 of the cute wooden cars have now been delivered to needy children through food pantries at Catholic Social Services, Erma’s House, Vineyard and Greenmount churches.

Each car has “USA” burned into the rear bumper and the bottom is stamped with “Toys for Gods’ Kids by St. Leonard Residents.”

“These cars built by the residents of St. Leonard are truly a labor of love; produced by a community with so much to give,” says Quigley.

Credit, she says, goes to residents Vern Hine, Fred Pestian, and Pete Kostoff with great help from Bernie Thompson, Bill Harding and John Schneider.

“Using their varied experience in sales, engineering, woodworking and manufacturing, together they managed to produce a toy car manufacturing assembly line here in Dayton,” Quigley reports.

You can help by cleaning out your workshop or garage and donating the needed materials.

Here’s what they need for the toy cars:

• Free-standing drill press

• ¼ inch wooden dowels

• Wood for car chassis: preferred wood is pine, but fir and other construction wood will do. Also clear redwood, cedar and even alder will make beautiful cars.

• Wheels: wheels are made from hardwood with tight grain patterns. Commonly available hardwoods such as cherry, birch, oak, maple, mahogany, walnut and hickory make excellent wheels.

“We cannot use pressure treated lumber as it contains chemicals that may be toxic,” adds Quigley.

For more information about the project, go to www.toysforgodskids.com.

St. Leonard can also use these items for other projects:

• tennis and golf balls (used items are OK)

• art supplies

• Plastic grocery bags

• Christmas cards (used and new)

Donations can be dropped of at the marketing office, 8100 Clyo Rd. in Centerville from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information on the toy project call Kate Quigley, (937) 439-7147. For information about art supplies, call Debra Stewart, (937) 439-7117.

If your nonprofit organization would like to publish its wish list, please contact Meredith Moss: MMoss@coxohio.com Be sure to include a daytime phone number.

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