This toy factory is run by volunteers who give away all the toys for free

[FSogol]

A long-haul truck driver recently walked into Tiny Tim’s Toy Foundation in West Jordan, Utah, and asked for a box of toys. Alton Thacker gave him five, each packed with 125 cars.

“He stopped at children's hospitals along his truck route and handed them out," said Thacker, 83, a retired barber who started the toy factory 16 years ago. "And I know he'll be back for more. Seeing all those little smiles is a great motivator.”

The cars — simple wooden toys with a painted smile — are made at the factory and given free to children in need around the globe through charities, churches, children’s hospitals and sometimes truckers who stop by for a box. Thacker’s factory reached a huge milestone this year when he cranked out his 1 millionth toy. He celebrated for a moment and then got back to work.

Snip


Children in Ghana play with cars made by Tiny Tim's toy factory in 2008. (photo by Sarah Marchant)

A car built from a block of scrap wood is a simple thing, he said, but the impact is immense. He said all kids react the same when they get the toy — whether they’re in a children’s hospital, a restaurant, a tough neighborhood close to home or a developing country. The cars have been delivered to children in countries including Iraq, Afghanistan, Ghana, Thailand, Russia, Mexico and Brazil.

More by Cathy Free of the Washington Post at:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2018/12/11/this-toy-factory-is-run-by-volunteers-who-give-away-all-toys-free/?utm_term=.c11d2296fef8&wpisrc=nl_optimist&wpmm=1