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93-Year-Old Toymaker Donates Hundreds of Handcrafted Wooden Creations to Children
Some folks are doing more than their part to ensure no child goes without presents this holiday season. In Pennsylvania, 93-year-old toymaker Ed Higinbotham donates hundreds of his handcrafted wooden toys to children in need each Christmas. He’s been doing it for about 30 years, and state police help him distribute the toys to homeless shelters and Head Start programs in the area.
Higinbotham is a self-taught craftsman who took up woodworking as a hobby. Initially, he says he just wanted something to keep his hands busy, but toymaking soon turned into a passion. Today, he works year-round from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in his workshop in Georges Township, about 55 miles south of Pittsburgh, to ensure he has enough toys for the holidays.
He fashions cars, trucks, and horse-drawn tractors out of wood, taking great care to include the small details, like the ladder on a fire truck or the bridle on the horse’s head. When asked if he was Santa Claus incarnate, he replied, "It's just something that I enjoy doing and now I make somebody else happy, and if that's Santa Claus then I'm Santa Claus."
[h/t WTAE]