Woodchucks Bring Cheer To Military Children

You may have seen a recent article in the UT about a group of men and women living at Ocean Hills Country Club called the Woodchucks.  They are a group of seniors, age 63-96, who love to do woodwork.  Each year they work tirelessly to produce cars,  trucks ,fire engines, helicopters and pull toys.  At the end of they year they donate the toys to the children of military men and women at Camp Pendleton.  In addition, they make doll size beds, and the women in the sewing group at OHCC make hand made quilts!  Everything is displayed in the clubhouse for all to see and enjoy.  Those of us that are not so handy purchase toys, which are also donated to Camp Pendleton.

In all, there will be 5 truckloads of toys going to the children of the military at Camp Pendleton this year.  I'm so proud of our community for its effort to make the holiday season a happy one for everyone.  The Woodchucks work hard to make this happen.  Some spend 20-30 hours per week working on their projects.  The result is some beautiful toys, enjoyed by children for years to come. Seniors have so much to offer their community, and the time to do it.  Our community of 55+ residents has over 60 different clubs, offering any activity you can possibly think of, from sailing, hiking and fishing, to jewelry making, Chinese watercolor, and working  with silver.  We have Mah Jongg, bridge, Mexican train, and of course poker.  Our theatre arts group puts on plays, and  musical groups abound.  If you're bored living here, it's your own fault.

 I know the Woodchucks are already planning on what they will make for the children next year.  They'll take a few weeks off, then be back at work in their workshop, enjoying friendships within the group, and creating beautiful toys for some lucky children.