Don Rosenwinkel, CEO and president of Chicago-based Big Monster Toys, doesn’t have a luminous nose, jelly belly, or even a red suit.
But when this jolly elf meets the young survivors of neglect and abuse who reside at Hephzibah Home in Oak Park, the Oak Parker’s twinkling blue eyes, easy chuckle, and white beard begs comparisons with Santa Claus.
The 58-year-old toy inventor, with his staff of about 30 or so “creative elves,” works away year-round on the next big idea from Big Monster Toys, “the largest independent toy company in the Western world,” as Rosenwinkel puts it.
The 15 wide-eyed kids who live at Hephzibah recently visited the closest thing in the Chicago area to Santa’s workshop when Rosenwinkel led them through the14-foot-high yellow door (with huge silver doorknob, oversized keyhole, and bulging-eyed green monster peering out the large window) and into the toy incubator situated on South Racine Avenue in Chicago’s West Loop.
Once inside the fairy-tale-like setting, they were greeted by a life-size toy ape hanging overhead, a floor-to-ceiling toy giraffe, plus a miniature train on an overhead track, choo-chooing around the 18,000-square-foot office.
“The kids just have a ball when they’re down here,” Rosenwinkel said. We introduced them to our toy inventors, lots of people, pretty much our entire staff, playing with toys and dolls and games, with people at computer screens and people working with their hands.”
During the two-hour-plus tour, the Hephzibah kids play-tested the toy designs and Rosenwinkel ran some of the machines so the kids could make bits and pieces of toys themselves.
“Our goal,” said Hephzibah Executive Director Mary Anne Brown, “is to raise our kids within the community, not outside of it, so whenever they get an opportunity to visit a site such as Big Monster Toys, we hope it will increase their curiosity about how things are made, and enables them to learn how they can be like Don, and of course, give back to others when they feel accomplished.” Rosenwinkel, she added, is a good example of longtime supporters who hold a deep conviction that every child deserves to feel safe, happy, nurtured and loved, which is the nonprofit’s mission.
“The children at Hephzibah have so many emotional and academic needs,” said Don’s wife, Karen, an accomplished industrial and interior designer. “It’s inspiring for us to see how hard the people at Hephzibah work to meet these needs. Don and I will continue to do as much as we can to give these children a chance at a better life.”
Toyland
Reared in Tinley Park, Rosenwinkel and his dad delighted in creating toys together: a go-kart, mini-bike and pinewood derby cars were created using repurposed parts from old car engines.
“Dad was a very creative man, too, and he paved the way for me,” said Rosenwinkel, an Oak Park resident since 1982.
His first decade as a toy inventor started in 1978, when he graduated from the University of Illinois Champaign and landed his first job with Marvin Glass & Associates in Chicago.
In 1988, as a toy inventor and vice president, he joined Big Monster Toys, the creators of the still popular Polly Pocket games and video series, and Uno Attack, an automated playing-card game.
“We currently have a couple of toys that are some of the hottest in the country right now, which is lucky for us,” he said, referring to BMT’s designs for Max Tow Truck, a little dump truck that can drag up to 200 pounds when attached to a child’s wagon, and Bounce Off, a fast paced family game where ping pong balls are bounced into a grid to create a pattern.
“You probably won’t be able to get these games at Toys R Us for Christmas,” he said, but they will be in the group of toys at Hephzibah’s Bring-a-Gift Party at Doc Ryan’s Tavern on Wednesday, Dec. 10.
“So go and you will be able to get them there,” said Rosenwinkel with a twinkle.