{"id":31931,"date":"2017-12-11T11:30:00","date_gmt":"2017-12-11T19:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/life\/toymaker-to-distribute-gifts-to-children\/"},"modified":"2017-12-11T13:32:44","modified_gmt":"2017-12-11T21:32:44","slug":"toymaker-to-distribute-gifts-to-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/life\/toymaker-to-distribute-gifts-to-children\/","title":{"rendered":"Toymaker to distribute gifts to children"},"content":{"rendered":"
For a decade, Vern Heinle has carved and shaped wood into durable, practical toys reminiscent of yesterday to distribute to underprivileged children of today through the Forgotten Children’s Fund, a nonprofit organization.<\/p>\n
Heinle, Kent’s modern day Mister Geppetto, distributes more than 250 of his hand-crafted toys – trucks, tanks, race cars, helicopters and airplanes – to children 12 and under on Saturday, Dec. 16, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Shari’s restaurant, 12990 SE Kent-Kangley Road.<\/p>\n
The holiday toymaking adventure keeps the retired carpenter tinkering in his spacious, well-equipped workshop that sits next to his East Hill home.<\/p>\n
“I enjoy it, I really do,” said the 84-year-old Heinle. “It actually makes me feel good to provide something to people who otherwise would not have it.”<\/p>\n