Students renovate wagon for Honor Guard

Members of the Newcomerstown Veterans Honor Guard now have a renovated wagon float to use for parades and special events, thanks in part to Buckeye Career Center students from four labs.

The project, a collaborative effort among the outdoor power, construction technology, auto collision, and CAD/development and design labs, featured a complete overhaul of the steel and wooden structure. It required removing and replacing the floor boards, building custom stairs and sitting benches, replacing wheel bearings and seals, and the design and creation of several metal signs using BCC’s new water jet table.

Outdoor power senior Tyler Toot from Conotton Valley contributed to the project. “I feel grateful to have been able to give back to the people who have served our country,” he said.

His classmate Jalee Coen of Claymont agreed. “I also felt very proud and grateful to be able to help our veterans. We learned new skills, like painting in the paint booth in auto collision, while also giving back to our community,” she said.

The former pumpkin-hauling trailer was purchased over 10 years ago by Honor Guard Cmdr. Denny Ross, who is ecstatic to have a safe way to transport Honor Guard members during community parades.

“We’re all at the age of 75-84, and it’s hard for us to march long distances. (The students) completely redid it. It’s amazing, and we weren’t expecting anything like this,” Ross said. “What a magnificent job they did.”

Lumber for the project, with an approximate value of $800, was donated by Holmes Lumber. The labor was conducted by BCC students as a community service project. As a thank you, the Honor Guard donated $500 to BCC to be split among the labs that participated in the project.