THUNDER BAY -- Tools aren't toys but that doesn't mean they can't be fun.
From swinging a hammer to sitting behind the wheel of a forklift, hundreds of children had an opportunity to take construction into their own hands in an environment geared toward them at the Valhalla Inn on Saturday.
It was the first year Equipment World pre-sold tickets for its Little Diggers event, which raised $7,000 for Habitat For Humanity in 2014. As much as organizers hoped to make heavy machinery approachable for children, part of that approachability is separating play from work.
"We want people to know that safety is a very big priority," said Equipment World marketing director, Heather Syvitski.
"We've got people at each piece of equipment. We tell them they need to be careful. We want them to know what it's like to pull the lever and get a feel for that. There's a lot of construction jobs when they grow up and get out of school."
Down the hall, four corporate teams and three families were building elaborate gingerbread houses in a related Habitat for Humanity fundraiser.
Highlights were Winnie the Pooh digging in a barrel of honey and a candy rendition of Thunder Bay's proposed Events Centre, complete with a Darth Vader statue, gingerbread politicians and a tongue-in-cheek wall between the rink and conference spaces.
"It's just a good time. They come together, they make some cool creations," said Habitat For Humanity's fund development coordinator Amber Prairie.
"That's not without any challenges. The teams can sabotage each other , they can pay to give each other work stoppages, they can make each other sing Christmas carols. It's all around, just a really fun day."
The gingerbread houses will be on display at the Valhalla Inn from Monday to Friday where passersby will vote for a People's Choice winner.
Prairie hopes the fundraising event will fetch $10,000.
