Building a future for others (08/28/06)

BERNE - From a distance, it sounded like a babbling brook.

But it wasn't water rushing over rocks.

It was hundreds of hammers hitting hundreds of nails as hundreds of volunteers transformed the parking lot of South Adams Junior-Senior High School into a construction zone Saturday, building Habitat for Humanity homes in a unique homecoming weekend project.

Sponsored by the student council, the project raised $28,000 and built four houses. A fifth Habitat for Humanity house will be constructed later at a site in Berne.

Two of the houses have already been shipped, one to a Habitat family in Huntington County and one to Mobile, Ala., for a family who lost their home a year ago during Hurricane Katrina.

An estimated 350 volunteers, including not only South Adams students and members of the South Adams school community but also students from Bellmont and Adams Central high schools, took part. Teachers, parents, students and school board members were involved.

"To see all these kids working together was just a wonderful thing," said Stephanie Shane, student council co-sponsor with Michael Baer, who originally conceived of the Habitat homecoming build.

Student council members and school staff partnered with Habitat for Humanity and Crossroads Missions of Louisville, Ky., on the project.

Plans for the build were made public in early July, and student council members, led by council president Corey Sprunger, worked throughout the summer to raise the necessary funds. "My kids have just worked their rears off," said Shane. "Everyone stepped up to the plate."

Dedication ceremonies were planned for this afternoon for the two homes in the parking lot. They'll then be disassembled and shipped to Habitat for Humanity.[[In-content Ad]]