Vol. 26 No. 11
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Wheels of a Dream
December 2016
Handmade wooden toy makers look to help young victims of crime
By Anthony Welch
S
chool bus drivers Jim King and Otis Moreland have turned their woodworking hobby into so much more. The two men are behind Wheels on a Dream, a locally-based, 501(c)(3) organization comprised of volunteer woodworkers. The group makes uniquely individual wooden toys on wheels that it then distributes to hospitals throughout the Pikes Peak Region for children receiving long-term care. Since April, the group has manufactured and distributed more than 700 toys to children in need. Members of Wheels of a Dream are Employees of School District 20’s transportation department and their spouses. King, the founder of Wheels of a Dream, reached out to the Colorado Springs Police Department’s Crimes Against Children Unit. His purpose was to become involved and provide toys to children in crisis that the unit comes in contact with. Wheels on a Dream has also partnered with children’s advocacy center, Safe Passage. Colorado Springs Police Chief Pete Carey hosted a press conference on Nov. 28, where King and Moreland presented 150 toys.
Photo courtesy of wheelsofadream.org
Jim King is the founder of Wheels of a Dream, whose volunteers are employees of Academy School District 20’s transportation department. The organization’s mission is to handcraft unique wooden toys on “wheels” for distribution throughout hospitals in the Pikes Peak Region for children in long-term care.
The Crimes Against Children Unit works an estimated 800 cases a year that involve children either being the victim of abuse or have experienced a traumatic event, according to Carey. “(Wheels of a Dream) is making it a better world for these kids,” he mentioned. King and Moreland have committed to donating 24 toys a month to the unit. King invited detectives from the unit to help build toys on Oct. 1. Teams were created and members from the unit and their family members participated as well.
Together 154 wooden toys were built and those were presented to the CSPD on Nov. 28. “I challenged the detectives to come to our shops and work with us. What amazed me the most is they brought their families with them, and they actually sanded and worked on the toys with us,” King said. “We’re committed to a long-term relationship with detectives and this department.” Safe Passage Executive Director Mo Basenberg expressed her gratitude for not only the CSPD, but Wheels on a Dream as well.
“The care we provide for children can only go so far,” she said. “We need community partnership. Entities like Wheels of a Dream really bring that to life.” Last week’s Chattanooga, Tenn. bus crash that killed six children really got to King and Moreland. The two decided to send a package of toys that included ones with the names of the children who lost their lives. The duo also made an additional 31 to send to the survivors of the tragedy.
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