FFA students bringing a Christmas tradition back to life
By Charles Christian
A trailer designed to look like a Christmas sleigh is being restored by the DeKalb High School FFA decades after it once soared through Lewis and Clark State Park.
The sleigh, once an annual tradition in the park, had become worn down to the point where it was dangerous for passengers. It was retired from usage for years until a group of residents decided they wanted their kids and grandkids to experience the memories they once enjoyed. That’s when Aaron Medsker, A longtime teacher at DeKalb decided it would be an ideal project for his FFA students to undertake.
“The scope of the project for our Ag Building class is challenging, and so it gives them skills they can use in the workforce to tackle a project of this size,” Medsker said. “The added bonus is that it is a great way for them to give back to the community while they learn.”
The class started on the project in November, so it likely will not be ready for Christmas this year. However, Medsker said that once the sleigh is fully restored, it will again be part of an experience that families can have for generations.
Medsker is not sure exactly how old the sleigh is, but he said that he and class found clippings from the 1970s featuring it. So, once it is rebuilt, the class wants to make sure it will last.
“We are taking our time and building it really solid, so it should last a long time,” Medsker said. “We took it all the way down to the bottom frame and welded a new frame together and just built it from the ground up.”
Agriculture building student and DeKalb senior Luke Miller echoes his teacher’s excitement about the project.
“We’ve never done anything big like this,” Miller said. “So on this project, we’ve done things we haven’t done in the past. Plus doing it for a good reason is also nice.”
Since November, the project has become a regular part of the coursework, along with the classroom time and the smaller projects the group undertakes each semester. For the seniors especially, having a fun project that challenges their skills is exciting, but completing a project that can bring joy to all age groups in their community for decades to come is one way this class is leaving a lasting legacy.
