Vern Heinle played Santa a little bit early this year when he delivered toys to the Forgotten Children’s Fund on Dec. 10

Heinle, a Kent resident, got involved with the Seattle-based non-profit four years ago when he connected with Jim Pelletier of Covington.

Heinle is a regular at Shari’s on Kent Kangley Road and 132nd Avenue Southeast in Kent, where Pelletier is the manager, and was encouraged to get involved in the restaurant’s efforts to support the Forgotten Children’s Fund annual Christmas drive.

This year, 78-year-old Heinle delivered 216 of his signature handmade wooden toys, along with the help of three of his grandsons. The toys were placed into nine cheerfully wrapped boxes.

About a year ago, Heinle told the Reporter he got involved because Pelletier’s passion for the Forgotten Children’s Fund was hard to resist.

“Over the years, Vern has brought in some of the stuff he’s made, some of the wallets, some of the holsters, some of the jewelry boxes,” Pelletier told the Reporter in November 2010. “The connection was easy. We do a food and toy drive twice a year: Christmas in July and Christmas. In talking about it, one day Vern walked in with these toys he had just created. I don’t think we officially talked about it. It just happened.”

Last year Heinle made 145 toys, this year his goal was to make 200, with 140 made as of Oct. 13.

A former carpenter of 40 years, Heinle has made toys as a hobby for decades. He started working on his toys for this year’s drive in September.

Building toys for youngsters in need, Heinle explained to the Reporter in October, not only provides something for children to play with but also “satisfies the creative urge in me.”

On Christmas morning, hundreds of children will get to play with his wooden toys, trucks and planes, thanks to a former carpenter who likes to play Santa Claus.