TOYS FOR SMILES: Twin brothers Logan (right) and Sam Leppo are adept woodworkers who combine their skills to create simple wooden toys for children. Earlier this month they donated 50 kid-friendly toys — 25 cars and 25 dogs — to children at HomeFront’s “Christmas in July” event. Taking their ingenuity a step further, the boys have formed their own non profit group to help the less fortunate. The Hun School students plan to partner with woodworking students across the country to create handmade toys for every homeless child in America. By distributing their original designs to students in participating schools, they hope to make and donate 5,000 toys over the next twelve months. For more information, visit: www.loganandsam.org (Photo Courtesy of the Hun School)

Hun students Logan and Sam Leppo are twins who hope that their shared passion for woodworking will inspire others.

Over the past year, the brothers designed, cut, sanded, and assembled their own designs for hand-made wooden toys that earlier this month, they distributed to children at HomeFront during the non-profit group’s “Christmas in July” celebration. They gave away 50 kid-friendly toys: 25 cars and 25 dogs. 

But the boys are looking beyond this one act of generosity. They have formed their own non profit organization to help the less fortunate.

“We would love to be able to make this a much larger event next year and are hoping to get other high school students involved in this project in the fall,” said Logan, who is 20 minutes older than his brother Sam.

Their goal is to partner with woodworking students across the country to create handmade toys for every homeless child in America. The Leppo brothers, who just turned 16 in May, plan to team up with local area schools, including the Hun School. They will distribute their original designs. They hope the project will make and donate 5,000 toys over the next 12 months.

“We want to share our creations with children who do not have as much as we do,” said Sam. “Handmade toys carry a weight that store-bought toys do not. They take time and effort to make, and in that regard they are rather special.”

The boys have the full support of their parents Michael and Tamara Leppo, who attended HomeFront’s Christmas in July event with their sons. They were impressed. “The expression on the faces of the kids as they picked out their toys was one of pure joy,” said Mr. Leppo.

“The boys had deliberately left the toys unpainted so that their new owners could decorate them,” said their father. “Before we knew it HomeFront had produced art supplies and there was an impromptu decorating party. It was neat to watch Logan and Sam with the younger kids. They even thought to bring along wood glue and a set of small tools and set up a little toy hospital,” said Mr. Leppo. “Every now and then a toy would lose a wheel and need to come in for repair. The HomeFront kids got involved, blowing on the glue! It was a sweet day.”

According to their father, Logan and Sam inherited their woodworking skills from their mother’s side of the family. From a very young age, they were spending time with their grand-father Russell Marks. “They did all sorts of building projects with their grandfather, who was always making furniture and art work,” said Mr. Leppo. He taught them how to handle tools safely and, as a result, they are very comfortable around band-saws and sanders.”

Hun School teacher Mark Niederer, with whom Logan studied woodworking and Sam architectural drawing, has also encouraged the twins, who used the school’s woodworking studio to make some of the toys they donated.

In fact, recalled Mr. Leppo, that’s where he found them on the last day of school. “All the other students had gone. Where were Logan and Sam? In the woodshop, still sanding and working. I thought that was impressive,” said their father. “There is a real satisfaction in making something by hand.”

Most of the work is done in the family garage, which Logan and Sam have turned into a wood shop. Each toy takes about 5 hours to make. “They have spent hours on this project and it has been an enormous learning experience,” said their father.

Knowing that they wanted to encourage others to follow their lead, the brothers created simple designs that are easily understood and replicated. “We have had a good response from the schools we have contacted so far, and we are hopeful that this project is going to grow,” said Logan. “When we return to The Hun School in September, we are going to start a new club — Toys for Smiles — and work with the community service club to raise money for materials.”

The boys’ parents have been delighted by the interest their sons’ accomplishments have garnered. “We just got a call from CBS Philadelphia asking to interview them and schools have been reaching out to them. There won’t be any shortage of kids wanting to get involved in this,” said Mr. Leppo. “They work exceptionally well as a team.”

According to their father, the brothers have already accomplished a lot in their young lives. “They are good students in school and excellent athletically. But more importantly, they are good kids and that’s exactly what Tamara and I wanted, to raise kids who would be good people.”

Seems like we may be hearing more about Logan and Sam Leppo.

For more information, visit: www.loganandsam.org.