HELPING SANTA; ARTISANS CARVE NICHE, HELP KIDS.Byline: Blanca E. Cordova Cordova, Spain: see Córdoba. Daily News Staff Writer It was like Santa's workshop Santa's workshop may refer to
Pierce College offers associate's degrees, mainly in the arts and sciences. There are also certificate programs in early childhood education, social services, dental hygienist, and others. , where 37 people, covered in sawdust, made dozens of toy helicopters as gifts for needy children during the holiday season. ``I want to do things for children,'' said Loren Stone, a member of the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. Woodworkers Association, while he cut the wood for a large helicopter rotor. ``Christmas is very special for children. It's very gratifying grat·i·fy tr.v. grat·i·fied, grat·i·fy·ing, grat·i·fies 1. To please or satisfy: His achievement gratified his father. See Synonyms at please. 2. to me to see happy children.'' Lisette Pulc, one of the woodworking students at Pierce College, said the toy-making effort created a special sense of unity. ``Whatever you do, you are here to help,'' she said. Members of the Woodworkers Association and students made the toy helicopters to be distributed to disadvantaged children not only in Southern California, but also on Indian reservations in North and South Dakota. The goal was to make and assemble 150 helicopters within six hours, explained Robert Rennie, an association member and chairman of the Holiday Toys for Charity production project. ``It makes it a challenge for us,'' Rennie said. ``Of course, six hours does not take into account the hundreds and hundreds of hours of planning and getting the material.'' The workers speedily created an array of parts for each toy helicopter, such as the large rotor, landing skids, copter cop·ter n. Informal A helicopter. cab, tail rotor pins and tail rotors. Brad Bowers, vice president of the association, said it felt good to be working for low-income children to have toys. ``It's the right thing to do,'' Bowers said. The workshop also was a learning experience for the Pierce College students, said Chuck Mull, who teaches woodworking and cabinet-making at the college. ``A lot of kids benefit from the toys that are made (by) these people,'' Mull said. Students got excellent experience in ``the production and the use of jigs and fixtures jigs and fixtures Components of machine-tool installations, specially designed in each case to position the workpiece, hold it firmly in place, and guide the motion of the power tool (e.g., a punch press). ,'' he added. The toy helicopters will be distributed by the Los Angeles Fire Department The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), also known as the Los Angeles City Fire Department to distinguish it from the Los Angeles County Fire Department. It is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of Los Angeles. ; Haven Hills Shelter in the San Fernando Valley, which serves abused women and their children; and by tribal workers at Indian reservations in North and South Dakota, where some people don't even have electricity, Rennie said. ``If you could see what I feel inside, it's absolutely the greatest thing in the world,'' said Rennie about the volunteer work. CAPTION(S): 3 Photos PHOTO (1) Sawdust covers a toy maker's hands. (2) Volunteer workers at Pierce College assemble toy helicopters for needy children. (3) Aaron Latt cuts wooden propeller blades for holiday toys to be given to children. David R. Crane/Daily News |
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