A VIETNAM veteran is making Christmas gifts that bring joy to the little ones and raising money for his fellow veterans.
Vic Alsbury, of Barkly Street, Mornington, makes and paints wooden toy trains that he sells from a table at his front gate.
The trains, which sell for $75, are selling out quickly.
Supporting the Vietnam Veterans’ Association is a cause dear to Mr Alsbury’s heart.
“The vets have missed out on two years of get-togethers, such as Long Tan Day, due to COVID-19 and so I thought I would help raise some money for the committee this way,” he said. “The first train, for my grandson, took two weeks to make but, by improving my technique, I was able to make the next 20 in the last two weeks of lockdown.”
A more recent effort produced another 26 trains. “The people who buy them are getting something they will cherish,” he said.
“I have received unbelievable goodwill from people buying them at my front gate for their grandchildren. It’s a great feeling.”
Mr Alsbury said a small group of veterans would begin making the trains, as well as crafts, in their own garages, with money raised going to the Vietnam Veterans’ Association.
An unexpected spinoff for Mr Alsbury was receiving a call from a long-lost cousin who spotted the toys on the Mornington Peninsula Noticeboard and contacted him after 15 years.
“It was good to hear from her,” he said.
First published in the Mornington News – 21 December 2021
