“To build bridges of support, anchored in Christ’s love, between families in the Lakes Area and the community assets that can help them thrive and gain hope.”
In an effort to spread the word about our mission, Bridges of Hope partnered with the 5th grade at Forestview Middle School to host our Second Annual Building Bridges event on February 3rd.
Fifth graders worked together in teams to create a bridge out of 100 popsicle sticks to compete in either the strength or aesthetic category. They received education & coaching from their science teachers and from four local engineering & construction firms: Nor-Son, Northway Construction, SEH, and Widseth-Smith-Nolting.
The students also had a chance to hear from our staff about what it means to build a bridge of support for those in need in our community.
Over 400 students, parents, grandparents, teachers, and others from the community attended the event. You could hear sounds of bridges breaking and the crowd cheering as the winning bridge held a whopping 165 lbs (we even had to get more weights from the school weight room in order to break the bridge)! To learn more about the event, watch this clip from Lakeland News.
What makes a bridge strong? What makes a community strong? That’s what fifth graders were tasked with figuring out, TOGETHER. That’s the key: Doing things TOGETHER creates strength, whether you’re talking popsicle stick bridges or helping your neighbor.
All of the teams did an amazing job, and prizes were awarded to the top finishers. The first place winners in each category enjoyed a limo ride (courtesy of Reichert’s) and a pizza lunch (courtesy of Boomer Pizza).
Bridges of Hope is so thankful to our sponsors for this event, and to ISD 181 for the collaboration and opportunity to spread the word about our mission. THANK YOU!! (To learn more about Bridges of Hope, please visit our website).
