The members of the Rapid City Woodworkers Association (RCWA) have combined our love for woodworking and our love for kids into a Toy Program – we have made and delivered over 40,000 handcrafted wooden toys to underprivileged children in South Dakota since we started in 2008. This is an ongoing program. We get satisfaction from seeing children enjoying the toys, often their only gift.

The purpose of the Toy Program is to enhance the quality of life for underprivileged children of the Black Hills and other parts of South Dakota. Within our Rapid City Woodworkers Association, we have developed a special year around Toy Program for making and distributing handmade holiday gifts and toys to charitable organizations in the local area. More than 35 members work year around in their own garages (and sewing rooms) as well as in monthly Saturday Toy Workshops to produce these quality wooden toys. Before Christmas, the toys are distributed to various organizations in the area.

Detailed History of the TOY PROGRAM

The members of the Rapid City Woodworkers Association (RCWA) have combined our love for woodworking and our love for kids into a Toy Making Program – we have made and delivered over 40,500 handcrafted wooden toys to underprivileged children in South Dakota since we started in 2008. This is an ongoing program. We get satisfaction from seeing children enjoying the toys, often their only gift.

The purpose of the Toymaking Program is to enhance the quality of life for underprivileged children of the Black Hills and other parts of South Dakota. Within our Rapid City Woodworkers Association, we have developed a special year around Toy Making Program for making and distributing handmade holiday gifts and toys to charitable organizations in the local area. More than a dozen members work year around in their own garages (and sewing rooms) as well as in monthly Saturday Toy Workshops to produce these quality wooden toys. Before Christmas, the toys are distributed to various organizations in the area.

The program is growing: we made 300 toys our first year in 2008, 1260 in 2009, 1430 in 2010, 1620 toys in 2011, and 3500 toys in 2023. We finished the toys in time for Christmas giving; they were distributed (at no cost) to various organizations in the area.

In 2008, we made and distributed over 300 toys for the Club for Boys, Working Against Violence, Inc (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, 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.

In 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), all in the Black Hills area, and Needs Free in the Sioux Falls, SD, area.

In 2011, we made and distributed 1620 toys to the same organizations. 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.

At Christmas this year, 2024, we are planning to give more than 3,500 toys to these and similar organizations.

Woodworking Organization

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.

Contact Information

For more information, contact Bob Buchanan at 605 348-2865 or Rick Weisbeck at 605 431-4708.

If you want to help build and assemble toys for the Toy Program, we can always use an extra hand. If you want to help, call Bob Buchanan at 348-2865 and check our website for more information. If you have excess or scrap wood, we can use most any size.