Nick de Peyster wrote that he and his family promised to send someone a typewritten note every day and that the family would pay it forward by giving another family a typewriter.
Hanks, a collector of about 250 typewriters -- 90 percent of which work, according to his estimate in the documentary -- sent the family a late 1960s Olympia De Luxe. It arrived Saturday.
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"He said, 'Don't change the ribbon. It adds character,'" Julia de Peyster, 53, told CNN.
Hanks himself signed the typewriter, which The Swellesly Report said Nick and Julia de Peyster hope will encourage their 12- and 16-year-old sons to stay in touch with adults they meet without their instruction.
Hanks, who is typically private about his charitable deeds, did not respond to CNN’s requests to his representatives for confirmation on the gift.
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