Four walls, one roof, and hours of work later, thirteen students have positively affected the lives of many veterans. Having a passion for something that you are not physically capable of doing anymore can break the hearts of the men who are the most deserving of a good life.

“Building a custom deer blind that is handicap accessible allows disabled veterans to have opportunities for recreational fun,  to enjoy the outdoors and hunt,” said plumbing and construction instructor Chuck Mackey.

Although this was a class project and students received a grade for their contribution, each one of the builders helped voluntarily after school for many hours. The Northwest Arkansas Home Builders Association contacted Macky about participating in the Build-a-thon because of our construction technology program. This is the first year to enter in the contest but because of the the positive outcome, Macky is interested in entering the contest again.

“They would take the blind in some land and allow the veterans to go on a few hunts, which is an unbelievable way to help those who fought for us,” said senior Brady Patrick.

This project was a very large task for this group of students. Working about an hour a day, the deer blind was completed in a little over two months.

“It was a challenging project with a noble purpose,” said Mackey.

Each student who contributed to this project had a specific task that they were to work. Carpenter skills were needed for the main build of the blind, as students measured, planned, and successfully created a stable building. After the structure was complete, the details came into play.

“I was asked to paint because of the background I have with working with camo,” said senior Mackane Burchfield.

Without helping manufacturing the structure, Burchfield spent ten hours on the outside of the deer blind alone. After layering green leafs and brown texture over the yellow paint, the veterans are able to hunt without the fear of being seen. A deer blind built from the ground up by high school students turned into a professional looking building. The deer blind was judged in the competition and awarded first overall with commentary that the students have set a new high for future competitions.

“As far as winning the competition goes, I’m not really worried about it because the deer blind is going to be used for wounded veterans to hunt out of. Win or lose, I’ll feel good about what we built,” said senior David Vowell.

The finished product was put on display at Cabela’s after being judged and sold after only one week. Although this was an assignment, the reasoning being the project was a bigger motivator for the students than any grade. The deer blind was assembled for the first group of veterans on January 13 and will be used for its great purpose for as long as it can.