POULSBO — The bottom of each toy truck this Santa’s helper makes bears the words “Santa’s Workshop, Poulsbo Division.”
As a kid whose house was missed by Santa a few years, Mac (who asked to be called by his North Pole nickname) knows the importance a visit from the jolly old elf at this time of year can hold for a child.
“About 65 years ago, my parents fell on hard times and we had some skimpy Christmases,” the long-time Poulsbo resident explained with tears in his eyes. “Some of that stuff you never get over, you just learn to live with it.”
For the past six years, Mac has been making toy cars and trucks that are distributed to children across Kitsap County. To date, more than 270 children have received these labors of love, meant to be a way for the craftsman to make sure no other child has a toyless Christmas.
Mac makes a handful of basic wooden truck designs including large and small basic pickups, monster trucks (a perennial favorite) and even some special edition models like bulldozers. Each toy takes him about one hour to complete and he said while they’re not the most advanced toys ever created, they’re made to last and, of course, he makes sure each one rolls perfectly.
“I’ve never had a kid complain,” Mac said with a chuckle, imitating the wide eyes and play “vroom” from most children when he hands them one of his creations. “Besides, I figure I could spend 10 hours making a really nice toy, but then at the end of 10 hours I’d only have one toy to give to one kid. This way, at the end of 10 hours, I have 10 or 11 toys to give out.”
The basic design for his wooden trucks came from a find at a local second-hand store. He still keeps the rough, hand-built truck in his workshop.
“I thought it seemed simple enough that I could make it,” Mac said, holding up the piece. “I once said, ‘I’ve never seen a piece of wood that didn’t have a truck in it.’”
Before getting married, Mac joked he didn’t even know what end of a saw to hold, but his carpentry-gifted father-in-law taught him the skills.
Today, the toymaker is so handy with a saw that he also builds sets for Roving Players’ productions.
And this Santa’s helper has spread his holiday gifts throughout Kitsap County. He said he rotates his toys each year to a different location including Fishline in Poulsbo, ShareNet in Kingston and this year Foodline in Bremerton and Port Orchard.
But he also keeps a few of the smaller trucks around after the holidays. He said they’re the perfect size to fit in his jacket pockets and he’s often seen giving them to children while he’s out in the community, especially on ferry rides.
But beneath it all, Mac retains a humbleness about the joy he’s brought to hundreds of children in Kitsap County. He said he likes to tell people about his hobby but he’s also always looking to hear of other people who serve as Santa’s helpers, too.
“And I know they’re out there,” he said with a grin.
