Happy Factory Gets $3,000 Donation From Sale Of Centennial Toy Trains

Don't know if you saw one of the little model trains that were featured and sold during the summer's Railroad Centennial Celebration. If you did see or buy one the style of the train might look a bit familiar. That's because they came from our own Happy Factory.  

The Happy Factory donated 500 handcrafted wooden trains to that celebration and on Tuesday, December 19th, councilmember R. Scott Phillips presented The Happy Factory with a $3,300 check for the proceeds that were raised. The wooden trains were available during the weeklong celebration in June, with a suggested donation price of $25. 

The Happy Factory is a Cedar City-based non-profit charitable organization “that produces simple, but quality, hardwood toys that are given to children in need around the world.” Commemorative wooden trains were custom-made by their volunteer staff for the 100-year celebration with scraps of wood donated by Timberline Cabinet Doors and mineral oil donated by Bulloch Drug. 

As of November 2023, over 1,744,412 toys have been distributed around the world in the lifetime of The Happy Factory, which was founded in 1995 by Charles and Donna Cooley. 

In a press release, councilmember Phillips said, “We are so grateful for the generous donation by our friends at The Happy Factory. These handcrafted trains added a special touch to the celebration and are sure to last a lifetime. Thank you to all who donated throughout the year!” 

If you didn't have the chance to acquire one of the model trains during the Railroad Centennial Celebration, a limited supply of the trains are still available at the Cedar City Office which is located at 10 North Main Street. Proceeds of any additional trains will also be contributed to the Happy Factory.