Former parade float granted new purpose

Staff photo: Kevin Wilson

Gary Rhode of Clovis uses a staple gun to put a roof panel in place for a shed to be sold or raffled by Habitat For Humanity of Roosevelt and Curry counties. Rhode said he enjoyed building the exterior, and said a friend had already volunteered his time later to finish the roof with a shingle job.

A former parade float featured in Clovis’ Pioneer Days Parade last month is now being used to raise money for someone’s future home.

Putting their construction skills to the test, Clovis locals gathered at 8th and Gidding streets on Saturday for the shed-building fundraiser held by Habitat for Humanity of Roosevelt and Curry Counties.

For about six hours, several volunteers helped assemble the door framing, install the window, finish the roof and paint the exterior of a 6-by-8-foot shed.

What might seem like a lot of work for just three people, volunteer Gary Rhode called “a no-brainer.”

“Three’s all we need,” Rhode said.

Rhode explained the shed, expected to be complete by next weekend, would be put to good use in someone’s backyard.

“We’ll put shelves in it, and it’s a steel door so it’s totally secure,” Rhode said. “To break into it is really rare with the deadbolt and all.”

Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Mike Gray said the completed shed “will be sold in some fashion” in a few weeks. Whether in an auction or a raffle, the proceeds will be used to fund the organization’s housing projects.

True to Habitat for Humanity’s recycling efforts, the shed originally served a different purpose when the project first began about a month ago.

“The shed was meant to be part of our float for the Pioneer Days Parade the beginning of June,” Gray said. “We had never had a float in that parade, and we wanted to be a part of that this year. We used the shed but didn’t finish it because it was just the base for our float.”

But on Saturday, the shed served even more purposes for the volunteers.

Jesse Valdez, a member of the U.S. Air Force at Cannon Air Force Base, used the shed-building project as a way to stay busy.

“It gives me something to do this weekend,” Valdez said, “and it is a good cause.”

As a first-time Habitat for Humanity volunteer, Valdez said he’d never built a shed before.

“I’ve fixed stuff, and I do small home repair stuff,” he said. “But I’ve never done the whole concept of a shed, so it’s a learning experience.”

For Rhode and his 17-year-old son, Eric, the project became not just a volunteer opportunity, but also an opportunity for some father-son bonding.

“We’re here because it’s a great cause,” Rhode said. “We’re raising funds for future houses.”

While Rhode took care of the construction, calling it “a hobby,” his son was responsible for the yellow-painted exterior walls.

Rhode said the two have volunteered for Habitat for Humanity in the past to help build houses for families.

Eric added they have experience building a shed in their own backyard, but nothing compares to building it for someone else.

“I like it because it helps out the community,” Eric said, “and most of the time it’s fun.”