COEUR d'ALENE — Oliver Swanson becomes teary-eyed when he reflects on what Christmas was like when he was growing up.

The 90-year-old Coeur d'Alene man lived through the Great Depression, when gifts and feasts were virtually nonexistent. He remembers just two Christmas presents he received as a child.

"There were no celebrations eating turkey," he said.

Swanson knows first-hand what lean Christmases are like for families in need, so he's doing something about it.

He wants to make the holiday brighter for local children by handing out his handiwork: wooden rocking horses and doll cribs.

"It doesn't seem right to just have them sitting here," Swanson said. "I know that somebody can use them."

Swanson said he is determined to not let his age stand in the way of making a difference in people's lives with the woodwork he performs in his garage.

"It's like anything else — you feel good when they're done," he said, adding he has made items such as dressers for family members. "I've been busy all my life; I don't want to just sit around at home."

Swanson said he has made rocking horses and 12-by-20-inch doll cribs as fundraiser items for churches and nonprofits as well as for his grandchildren and great-grandchildren to pass on to future generations.

Heading into Christmas, he has three horses and eight cribs available to local families.

A family wishing to receive one of the items should send an email to [email protected], or hand-deliver a written message addressed to Maureen Dolan to The Press, 215 N. Second St., by 5 p.m. today. To be considered, the message should include a brief explanation of why your family should be chosen to receive a rocking horse or doll crib, which item is desired and a name and telephone number. Those selected to receive the wooden toys will be notified Friday via a return email or phone call. Anyone taking one of the items will have to arrange to pick it up in Coeur d’Alene and transport it themselves.

Swanson, who was a counselor at Coeur d'Alene High School, said he has been woodworking off and on for the past 30 years.

"I've just kept on making things," he said. "You could say it's a labor of love. Getting clothes is one thing, but oftentimes children want something else."