Just some doodles...
2021
What a year!! We had the amazing highs of handing out buckets of toys to 7 great organizations servicing families and children. 370 toys in 3 weeks. We worked so hard over years to get to that point. We had tremendous lows in the loss of Bill.
I am not sure what to make out of 2021. On balance, I think I am glad it is over and eager to put it behind me. There is no question that we have pieces to pick up and a huge hole to fill. We will see what 2022 will bring.
Bill's Truck
Highs and Lows
December has been a month of highs and lows. We delivered our first batches of toys. A Bucket of Toys (seriously, a 5 gallon bucket from the Lowes) holds four dozen cars. We delivered ~350 toys in our first wave of making deliveries. We met some great people working with kids in need. They were received with great appreciation and we are very excited by these opportunities to make a difference.
Our low is in the loss of one of our founding directors. Bill Cleveland is my big brother. When I mentioned this crazy idea, he offered to help with the paperwork side. I can work with wood, not forms. He put together this company and got us up and running. His loss is deeply felt. We will remember him every time we build a "Bill's Truck" and every time we see a child light up when they receive one. Thank you, Bill, for the 53 years you watched over your littlest brother.
Where did this idea come from?
What we are doing at 2xToys isn't new or original. Several years ago I meet a man named Rex Doty. Rex was running a nonprofit doing exactly what we are trying to do. While I have made a few hundred toys in my basement, Rex and his friends have made hundreds of thousands of toys.
Rex is quick with a smile and a handshake and has a gift of gab. He taught me a simple truth. Give a kid a block of wood and it becomes a toy. And he is right, but how much better would it be if we put some wheels on it?
When I met Rex, I realized that I know how to work with wood. (Thanks Granddad!) I could do this. It took a few years to realize this idea wasn't going to go away. So...2xToys has become a reality thanks to patience and family.
Rex, thank you for all you have done to bring smiles to kids. We hope that we aren't the only spin-off of the good work you have done.
~ Michael, Toymaker