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Being Neighborly | His handmade toys bring Christmas joy

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A Gig Harbor man has been donating handmade, wooden toys to the Gig Harbor Peninsula FISH Food Bank’s holiday toy drive for years, bringing happiness to local children each Christmas.

Don Weatherby, a 40-year Gig Harbor resident, started out making toys for children in his own family as a hobby. But since 2012, he has donated up to 10 of the wooden toy vehicles he creates each year.

Anonymous no more

Weatherby managed to remain anonymous those first few years, dropping the toys off and leaving before anyone really noticed. But soon volunteers began to recognize him when he arrived.

That first year, 2012, was the year he retired. He was looking for a way to stay productive.

Weatherby’s creations not only keep him busy, they are a unique option for parents shopping for their children during the toy distribution event. Weatherby doesn’t sell his toys, though. He makes them solely for FISH.

Don Weatherby has donated handmade wooden toys for the Gig Harbor Peninsula FISH Christmas Toy Drive since 2012. His toys helped to make Christmas special for some of the more than 900 children that benefited from donations for the 2025 season.
Photo courtesy of Kelly Pruitt

No electronics, no problem

At first, Weatherby wasn’t sure his wooden creations could compete with the machine-rendered, mass-produced versions. It turns out his toys — handmade logging trucks with tractor cab, logs, and removable trailers; freighters, ferry boats, tugboats, Navy ships (all designed to played with on dry land, not in the water); airplanes and stick horses — are a hit during the toy drive distribution.

FISH volunteer Betsy Cheney said a group of moms came to the warehouse during a sorting and setup day for the distribution, and brought their young children along. They were surrounded by the bright, shiny toys you find in stores. But after about 20 minutes, Cheney found the children happily playing on the floor with Weatherby’s creations.

Most of his toys are constructed of unpainted wood, with a clear sealer. He uses paint if it enhances the design. He said leaving the toys in a natural state allows children to use their imaginations in the process of play.

Don Weatherby creates and donates wooden trucks, boats and other toys for the Gig Harbor Peninsula FISH Food Bank Toy Drive.

While he doesn’t get to see the faces of the children on Christmas morning who receive the toys that he donates, he said the volunteers at FISH are always happy to see him coming for drop-off day.

FISH depends on donations each year to help families give their children a happy Christmas. Weatherby’s wooden toys helped to do just that for some of the more than 900 children FISH served this year.