For decades, this WWII veteran has been making hundreds of wooden toys a year to give away

(Image credit: Screenshot/YouTube/CBS Pittsburgh)

published 17 December 2020

Ed Higinbotham's workshop isn't in the North Pole, but it does churn out hundreds of handcrafted wooden toys every year for excited kids.

Higinbotham, 94, of Fayette County, Pennsylvania, has been making toys to give away to local children since the 1980s. The World War II veteran, who specializes in trucks and tractors, estimates he has finished at least 3,000 toys, each one marked with the day and year it was completed.

"I love to make toys and give them away," Higinbotham told KDKA News in 2019, saying he gets joy from the idea that his wooden boats, wagons, and cars are making kids happy. Last week, Pennsylvania State Trooper Robert Broadwater picked up 300 toys from Higinbotham's house, which he will distribute to preschools. Broadwater has dubbed Higinbotham "Fayette Santa," and on Twitter, praised him for having "the drive and determination to see children smile this time of year. Way to go Ed!" Catherine Garcia

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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