Chipping in to spread joy to kids

CHENEY – In a Cheney Care Center building is a small room where several "old guys" like to gather and talk.

Oh yes, and build small, wooden toy trucks.

They call themselves "Cheney Chipsters," and they've not only been meeting and building since around 2010, but furnishing these little wooden marvels to area children who are facing life challenges and in some cases might not receive any gifts for Christmas. According to a list from Chipster Cliff Ferguson, there are 10 organizations currently receiving from 800 to 1,000 of these trucks - organizations ranging from Cheney Outreach Center to EWU Early Head Start, Ronald MacDonald House, Union Gospel Mission Women' s Recovery at Anna Ogden Hall and the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery.

"We've got about half that output right now," Ferguson said, noting the group has been limited due to COVID-19 restrictions that have shut down the Care Center to outside visitors. The Chipsters did convene for over a month in late summer/early fall as Spokane County began going through a reopening phases, but was shut down again due to the fall surge of the virus now underway.

The seven men who compose the Chipsters share a love of woodworking along with good conversation. Ferguson said he's been doing woodwork since he was about 10 years old - over 70 years - and used to have his own woodshop. In his lifetime, Ferguson said he's built just about everything, including actual buildings on a family farm.

The same goes for Chipster Dwayne Paul, who was one of the men who assisted founder Ted Ham in getting the club started. In his years doing woodwork, Paul said he's built items ranging from playhouses to swing sets and rocking horses.

Paul said Cheney Chipsters meet every Tuesday and Thursday for about two hours at the Care Center's shop, at least when times are good. They try to plan ahead for the number of trucks built, contacting organizations to find out how many they might need.

"We try to give them to people who need them for little kids," Paul said.

They purchase the axles and wheels from a company in Texas, but the wood comes from local sources, with the men visiting construction sites and other work locations to pick up any scrap wood that's available.

"It only takes 11 inches of a 2x4 to make two of those trucks," Paul said, adding they work from templates and jigs with everything they build.

The Chipsters also do other forms of woodworking projects within the community. Paul said if chair needs fixing, something repaired, they're ready to help out.

Both Paul and Ferguson said being involved in the Chipsters helps them pass the time while also doing something of service to the community. Both men have a long history with Cheney as Paul has been a city and Spokane County Fire District 3 fire chief while Ferguson worked for the city.

In fact, they and other men - some who are also Chipsters - used to meet for coffee weekly, which is how Ferguson got involved in the club.

"They were running out of people and he (Paul) knew we (Ferguson and Ed Knokey) were woodworkers," Ferguson said.

While the pandemic has closed their shop temporarily, it hasn't dampened the Chipster's desire to work with wood and help the community. While the supply is half what they normally produce, Paul said they began making deliveries of trucks in November and will continue through this month up to Christmas.

"We really enjoy the woodworking," Ferguson said. "A guy could go a long way when it goes to helping kids."

Besides Paul, Ferguson and Knokey, the Cheney Chipsters include Dave Daugharty, Jack Martin, Larry Andrew and Keith Fauerso.

John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.