Hundreds of northern in-hospital children will be on the list, to be given a wooden gift.
Each year Canfor Coffee group, a group of retired Canfor employees, make wooden toys and bring them to hospitals from Prince George to Burns Lake. The gentleman, based out of Prince George, have once again donated boxes of hand-crafted toys to hospitals including Stuart Lake Hospital in Fort St. James and St. John Hospital in Vanderhoof.
“This annual gift is something we always look forward to as the creativity and love is so evident in each vehicle and piece of doll furniture,” said April Hughes, health services administrator, Omineca District. “It gives us great pleasure to be able to give these gifts to the children who visit the hospital. The staff themselves get excited to go through the box because the wooden toys are so delightful. We get the joy going through the box, the joy of giving them out and the joy of watching the children’s faces playing with the toys.”
Joe Plenk of the Canfor Coffee Group has been making toys for over 20 years specializing in rocking horses and kids tables.
“Its something to do to pass the day instead of sitting around watching TV, and I don’t go to the beer pub,” joked Mr. Plenk, with a thick German accent. “It feels great because I am still available, I haven’t got anyone. I am the only one in my family for 7000 km so it’s very gratifying, I just love the children.”