CARE barbecue unites community

SANDPOINT — There’s no better way to bring people together than a delicious meal.

That’s why the leaders behind the parent-teacher-student collaborative effort CARE, or Caring Adults Recognizing Excellence, chose to build a barbecue for their first major project. According to group representative Stacy Temple, the project is a rare effort that unites students, teachers, parents and community members in common cause.

“Our mission objective is to focus on collaborative projects, and this is the perfect collaborative project,” she said.

It’s a good thing, too, because the project is an ambitious one. After all, the so-called chuckwagon is much more than the average barbecue you might pick up at the store. The final design is projected to be eight by 17 feet in size and will be fully mobile, making it the perfect piece of equipment to transport from school to school. In addition to a barbecue able to grill up massive amounts of food, the wagon will have pancake skillets, a generator for power supply, stainless steel sinks, storage space and more — all put together according to health department regulations.

Given its size and full set of features, the chuckwagon will be suitable for a variety of purposes, from a celebratory meal after the big game to fundraising opportunities and more.

 “It has so many different uses that could be a major benefit to a lot of different groups,” Temple said.

It will take a team effort to bring the project to completion. One parent, Mark Sauter, got the ball rolling by donating a chassis for the barbecue. He also began working with teacher Yogi Vasquez to bring welding students into the project. According to Vasquez, the students were eager to participate, even though the project has had its ebbs and flows since it launched in mid-August.

“I never have any problems getting them to work on it,” he said, later adding, “It’s been a great project for the kids because it involves a lot of different metals and cutting processes.”

There are two main issues that need to be resolved in order for the chuckwagon to be completed — which project organizers hope to do some time in May.

First, the construction team needs necessary items like the sinks before they can fully assemble the wagon.

Second, the group needs donations from community to finalize the project, which may cost between $8,000 and $10,000.

Those interested in contributing financial support can drop off or mail a check made out to CARE to Sandpoint High School, 410 South Division Ave. Those with questions can contact Temple at care@lposd.org. Donors will be acknowledged by a plaque on the completed chuckwagon.