High school vocational classes build dream castle for kids

Every year, Big Brothers Big Sisters, together with local architects and builders, raffle off a child’s dream playhouse for its annual “Homes with Heart” fund-raiser. This year, Durango High School students are lending their hands and hearts to build the dream playhouse.

This year’s home is actually a castle. Standing 14 feet tall, with more than 80 square feet to roam in, this castle will surpass any child’s dream playhouse. “It’s going to make one kid a real nice playhouse,” said Shaun Smith, Durango High School’s wood works teacher, who is overseeing the project. “It’s built really stout.”

Complete with battlements, crenellations, turrets, platforms, and actual openings resembling alcoves in the authentic looking stonewalls -- this castle has it all. Inside the walls of the 8-foot by 10-foot structure, kids can find three levels, a 2-foot deck, a 4-foot deck and a 6-foot deck that allows them to look out over the crenellations of the castle.

Nolan Reed, a Park Elementary student, drew the winning design during Kid Time, Durango School District 9-R’s after-school child care program. With the help of Rick and Keegan Feeney of Feeney Architects turned his design into blueprints for Smith’s classes. All of the supplies have been donated by local businesses in Durango.

Construction on the castle began three weeks ago, after Smith’s introductory construction class (a total of 14 students) learned the basics of construction, how to use hand- and power-tools, and how to read architectural plans. The shop students are not the only ones lending a helping hand. The welding class is welding fasteners for the roof and the art class will paint the structure to resemble a stone castle when construction is complete.

“What a great way to get the high school kids involved in their community and it teaches them a lesson about giving to others,” said Christy Scherer, the executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of La Plata County.

The castle will be on display before Thanksgiving in the Town Plaza parking lot next to Kroegers and South City Market. Volunteers will be there daily selling tickets for the raffle. The drawing will take place at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 23, at the Town Plaza. Tickets can be purchased for $3 each or $10 for four tickets.

Homes with Heart, one of four fund-raisers that Big Brothers Big Sisters conducts every year to raise money for their agency, raised more than $13,000 last year to further the organization’s work mentoring local children. The money that is generated supports its two programs, Core, the community-based program, and Study Connection, the school-based program, Both match caring, responsible adult mentors with children ages 6-17.

Big Brothers Big Sisters is the oldest, largest and most effective youth mentoring organization in the United States. It strives to help children reach their potential through professionally supported, one-to-one relationships with mentors who have a measurable impact on youth. For more information on Big Brothers Big Sisters, contact Christy Schaerer at 247-3720.