News
MLS student council decides to volunteer at Annie's House
Tyler Ohmann
12/11/2012
At the Bottineau Winter Park last Tuesday to go along with the pounding of hammers and the whir of drills were also laughter, smiles and instruction as the Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood (MLS) Student Council came and volunteered to help continue the building efforts on the new chalet that will be called “Annie’s House.”
About 20 members of the MLS council along with their adviser and MLS principal Lenora Stevenson made the trip northeast to BWP to help with the construction effort.
“I gave them a couple of different options on what they could do for a service projected, and they voted, this is what they voted on,” Stevenson said. “We just decided it would be a good thing for them to come up and do.”
The students wielded hammers, drills and saws in lieu of computers, writing utensils and textbooks for a day to give back to the community. It was also at a place which many of them use during the winter sports season.
“It’s helping the community and a lot of the seniors come up here every other weekend or every third weekend and ski,” said MLS senior and student council member Wyatt Thompson.
Stevenson said that it will be nice for the council members that use the facility to see the progress of the project and to also be able to say they had a part in helping complete the project.
“It will be fun for them to see the progress for those that come down here,” Stevenson said.
She also noted that many of the students have cabins in the area or visit the area to visit relatives and friends.
The volunteers spread out once arriving at BWP and helped do many different aspects of the continuing construction.
“They’re doing everything from some of the electrical outlets, and some sheetrocking and the drilling and stuff,” Stevenson said. “A lot of them have been working outside, and getting things out there done too.”
The Annie’s House project is a not only a new chalet, but also includes the addition of an adaptive ski program for disabled children, adults, wounded warriors and their families.
It was created with help by the New York Says Thank You Foundation to honor North Dakota’s only victim in the 9/11 tragedy, Ann Nicole Nelson, of Stanley, N.D.
Hundreds of volunteers did the bulk of the erecting of the facility as well as many other projects from Sept. 6-9.
However, much remains to be done and volunteers are needed to help complete the project.
Anyone wishing to volunteer can contact Ronald Deraas at (701) 263-5605, who is one of the coordinators of the building efforts right now.
Deraas said that volunteers of all skill levels are needed as there are many jobs to be done. He said even small things like sweeping, and just handing tools to others would help.
As long as the hammers continue to pound, the drills whir and the smiles beam, the project is still alive at BWP.