By Danny Federico Riverbend News
Branford High School's (BHS) welding and agriculture (AG) students have been facing an annoying predicament for quite some time. BHS' AG building is located on the other side of Northeast Jenkins Avenue and has no covered walkway for students to use. Because of this, when it rains, it pours down upon the students heading to class. Covering the walkway would cost the district $60,000 and would have be placed on a five-year plan.
Seeing the struggle their fellow students were going through, Branford's Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter decided to come up with a solution. In a move of creative innovation, the FFA members decided to build two umbrella caddies, one for students walking from Building 5 on BHS' campus and one for students walking from the AG building across Northeast Jenkins Avenue. Each caddy holds 30 umbrellas, allowing for a combined total of 60 umbrellas for the students to use on rainy days.
The theory was that the umbrellas would balance out between the two buildings; a student would pick up an umbrella at Building 5, walk across the street to the AG building, then deposit the borrowed umbrella in an open cubbyhole for another student to use. The FFA chapter paid for the lumber to build the caddies, but the umbrellas were a different story. Sixty umbrellas were donated to the chapter by banks, local businesses and even private individuals after Stacy Young, Branford's FFA Advisor, made a post on Facebook.
"The students have utilized the umbrellas since the beginning of the project," said Young. "We expected one or two to go missing, but none of them have been stolen or damaged. The FFA members and welding students are extremely grateful for the support of our community in this project."
"It's a great idea because our school is so open," said Brianna Cannon, FFA member and BHS senior. "Walking to class with an umbrella in the rain makes it easier, because it keeps us dry and comfortable."
Braden Bass, FFA member and grade 10 student, stated he's thankful for those who donated the umbrellas. "It's nice to be able to cross the road during the rain," said Bass.
Cutter Dachuk, FFA member and ninth grade student, assisted in building the umbrella caddies. "I learned how to use a paint gun to spray the wood," said Dachuk. "It was the first time that I had ever used one."