There was a celebration at the Maclean Cameron Animal Adoption Center on Wednesday - a "Dog House Dedication Ceremony."
Several months ago, dozens of students attended the inaugural GFPS Kids Construction Camp at the center and built six dog houses, and on Wednesday they were officially "open for business" for the dogs.
Eli Crist, a student at Meadowlark Elementary School, said, “I actually had a lot of friends at the camp with me, so not only did I get to hang out with them, but do a bunch of math and compute how long the wood ought to be, we got to put on the shingles and the siding, it’s just so much fun."
Pam Volk, the executive director of the center, said in a press release: "These dog houses are going to make a big difference in the quality of life for our dogs at the Maclean-Cameron Animal Adoption Center. We plan on using the dog houses in our outdoor kennels to provide extra shade while our dogs enjoy the outdoors. It is important to us that our animals are as stress-free as possible while they are waiting for forever homes, and these houses will provide that extra homey touch in a shelter setting. The students’ passion for animals is exemplary and their efforts are greatly appreciated.”
In addition to students and center staff, there were several other people at the ceremony that were instrumental in making this happen: Tom Moore, GFPS superintendent; Jake Navaro of Sletten Construction; Jennisse Schule of CTA Architects; Krista Smith of the Great Falls Builders Exchange; and Pete Pace, Construction Teacher.