Just to share our July results.  Year to date, we have created 7,588 toys!  We have distributed 4,666 of those; over 100 to American Village in Montevallo, AL; about 2000 to Children’s of Alabama; over 450 to Children’s Hospital at Tristar Centennial in Nashville; over 200 to Children’s Hospital of Atlanta – Egleston; over 100 to Children’s Hospital of Atlanta – Scottish Rite; over 1600 to Greater Birmingham Ministries; over 100 to Kid’s Connection, a ministry of the Dawson Family of Faith here in Birmingham; and close to 200 to Monroe Carell Jr Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.  Hopefully we’re bringing hope and joy to children of all ages across the southeast!

First to clarify.  The Over the Hill Gang refers to a location not a particular age!

According to Wikipedia: “Red Mountain lies immediately south of downtown. Many of Birmingham’s television and radio broadcast towers are lined up along this prominent ridge. The “Over the Mountain” area, including Shades Valley, Shades Mountain and beyond, was largely shielded from the industrial smoke and rough streets of the industrial city. This is the setting for Birmingham’s more affluent suburbs of Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills, Homewood, and Hoover. South of Shades Valley is the Cahaba River basin, one of the most diverse river ecosystems in the United States.”

Now that is out of the way, every Tuesday a talented group of Guild Members gather at the Woodworkers Education Center (WEC) in Maylene, Alabama for fellowship, coffee, and more to the point craft fine wooden toys.  Donated wood is milled and sized for particular projects and everyone pitches in with drawing out, sawing, sanding, drilling, sanding, router edges, sanding, gluing and sanding a multitude of toy projects.   These toys are then delivered to Children’s Hospitals and Community Ministries in Birmingham, Atlanta and Nashville.

The OTHG is open to any Guild Member and gathers at the WEC every Tuesday from 9am to 2:30pm so come on out and join us.  Don’t forget to pack a lunch, we like to sit around the kitchen table family style and “chew the fat” so to speak.

Enjoy a sampling of our Toys:

The summer heat has not slowed down the “Over the Hill Gang” and as of mid-July, they have crafted 6768 toys for our Kids!

Back in May, we established a new relationship with the Vanderbilt Medical Center’s Monroe Carell Children’s Hospital in Nashville.  This gives us two locations in the Nashville area, including The Children’s Hospital at Tristar Centennial, and twice the number of kids we can bring smiles to!

The group has also received a request from the American Village to craft the legendary “Brown Bess” musket, the rifle used most by both American and British forces during the American War of Independence.  To date we have delivered about 20 replicas to American Village.  We continue to “fine-tune” our crafting methods to improve both the appearance and the build time of the muskets.

Watch this space in coming weeks we’re considering a Toy Maker in the Spotlight to showcase craftsmen and women of the OTHG!

The wood chips have been flying on Tuesdays at the WEC. In the first five months of 2016, the Toy Group has produced over 5,100 toys. Congratulations to the Over The Hill Gang!