Labor Day 2018 – One Upping Ourselves Again!

After 5 years of successful work weekends, I am running out synonyms to describe how awesome everyone involved is.  All in, we raised $26,300. topping our goal by 8K, and last year’s total by almost 4K.

We had 134 Alumni donate, and 6 Alumni volunteers show up to help out.

The biggest news for this year, is our Roof Replacement project is fully funded and work is set to begin at the end of September. Big thanks to everyone who has donated over the past 5 years and to everyone involved with the logistics of the project. Be on the look out for updates as the work begins.

This year presented a number of unique challenges. We actually finished our planned tasks faster than expected, even though the weather was not overly cooperative.

Our main goal for this year was to resurface the entire driveway and parking lot with new stone. After some measuring, it was calculated that we would need 78 tons! Luckily the folks at Perishville stone and gravel were up to the task. Little Dan was gracious enough to go up a day early and meet the delivery driver on Friday. All in, they had to deliver 3 full dump trucks of stone.

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When I arrived at 8:15 Saturday morning, the guys were already hard at work spreading the stone.

We worked up quite the appetite with all that shoveling and broke for lunch around 1. (Thanks to Fitzgerald Brothers Vending of Glens Falls for donating some beverages to support our caffeine habit.)

After lunch it was time to start tamping, so much tamping.

And more shoveling.

While some other folks started on our secondary projects.
We painted some more eaves, This year marks one full rotation around the house. (although, there are some spots that could use another coat already.)

As well as making some repairs to the circus porch decking before it was sanded and repainted.

We also threw out all the interior furniture that had become outdoor furniture over the years and purchased some actual patio furniture for the front and circus porches (not all pictured).

What was surprising, was we managed to finish almost all of this work on Saturday. It was good thing too, because it absolutely poured on Sunday.

Unfortunately, due to sustaining an injury Saturday evening, i was forced to leave early. As i hobbled toward the car Sunday morning, Alumni were leading the Actives in a vigorous cleaning of the kitchen to avoid the rain.

As another fund raising season ends, i would like to personally thank everyone that has donated and volunteered, We cannot do this without you.

Thank you to Terry -TZ- Moran for continuing to spearhead our fund raising campaigns. As well as Lew Blum and J.R. Augustine for lending Terry a hand this year.

Thank you to all our 2018 Alumni volunteers: Dan Rissacher, Tim Dammann, Chris Welsh, Logan Adams, Calvin Flood, and Canaan Nelson.

Thank You,
Chris Welsh ’06

2 Replies to “Labor Day 2018 – One Upping Ourselves Again!”

  1. Well done, Bros.

    Would have liked to be in Potsdam with you guys, to work, and to share stories with the Alumni and the Actives.

    But at 75, and in poor health, travel’s no longer possible.

    The physical House and the ties of brotherhood are strong, but they both need eternal vigilance as the years drift on….

    Best years of my life,
    Gary “Smut” Smetana (Retired in NH).
    BSEE 1966

    Celebrated 52nd year of marriage to a Potsdam girl. Her “pinning” and the brothers’ warm acceptance of US, is as clear as yesterday. That party barn sure was something. So sad that it was destroyed.

  2. Sometimes I wanna shave Ian’s beard while he’s sleeping just o find out what he looks like without a beard

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