Family toy company and home destroyed in Blaze

Last night a horrendous fire tore through the Elves and Angels wooden toy shop and my parents' home of nearly 30 years, taking with it hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of boxed inventory waiting to be shipped to children around the country, hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of tools, and a lifetime of memories and special things that 52 years of marriage and 12 children created.

Tragically, this is the second fire my family has suffered. The last many will remember happened 2 days before Thanksgiving back in 2004. That year we found out just what it’s like to live in a place like northern Maine, perhaps one of the last places on earth where your neighbors, and often people you have never met, see your suffering and reach out a hand to help in any way they can.

For those of you who don’t know this, my Mom and Dad are the creators of the nationally renowned American Toy company, Elves and Angels. For 34 years, this amazing husband and wife team has been designing and creating beautiful heirloom quality toys for children. www.elvesandangels.com

Over the years, nearly all of their 12 children have worked in the family business. Their children and the toy company have been their life.

Elves and Angels IS my parents and they are Elves and Angels. 34 years of blood, sweat, and tears have been poured into that company by the two of them.

Across the country, literally thousands and thousands of children have had their dreams come true because two people up in the woods of northern Maine loved children and wanted to share that love with the world.

 

They are amazing people, my parents. Two troubled “hippie kids” who’s  broken hearts ran into each other in the coastal town of Kennebunkport back in 1970 and were molded together as one from that moment on. They overcame insurmountable odds to create our family and remain committed to each other for 52 years.

They poured nearly 30 years into the run-down old farmhouse we kids called home, working and sacrificing for us and eventually restoring the old place into such a place of beauty that it became a sort of landmark that out of state people would drive by to see. Years of work went into every square inch of it, from the moment they bought it to the day a fire nearly took it all in 2004, and then, as they rebuilt it from the ashes to the beauty it was up until last night’s fire left nothing but devastation in its wake. Unfortunately, they were uninsured when the fire happened, both their home and the workshop, because it has been impossible to find a company who will insure them due to cases like this; a fire happens and no one can get there in time and the insurance company has a total loss like this to deal with. My parents have lost everything. EVERYTHING. They are 72 and 70 this year. They have no savings, retirement or pension. Their one hope is to get together enough money to rebuild the family business, Elves and Angels if possible and have the possibility of drawing a paycheck.All their belongings went in the blaze…all their clothes, their pictures, their keepsakes from their children…all those family heirlooms dating back to my mother’s family’s Irish linen brought from the old country. All those little things that you can never replace are gone. They have NOTHING. I am asking for help for my parents. I am asking for anything you can give that can help them recover from this, restart our family business and give them a home. 12 of my family members depend on Elves and Angels for a livelihood. Please give what you can and may God richly bless you in return. Please keep David and Susan Smalley in your prayers. And our entire family.

If you would rather send a check please make payable to 
David and Susan Smalley and mail to;
506 White Settlement Rd 
Hodgdon, ME 04730