Wellwood technology teacher Howard Botting worked together with student volunteers and the Wellwood HSA to create more than 100 ornaments as a donation for the VA hospital in Syracuse. Botting said when he found out the VA was asking for Christmas ornament donations, he immediately reached out to the HSA, who he said fully supported his request.
The HSA helped purchase a box of aromatic cedar closet lining. Then, he and fellow tech teacher Brooke Ebersold used the school’s Epilogue laser engraver to cut out as many ornaments as possible using the purchased supplies.
Botting said 7th graders Drake Broad, Roman Darius, and Colton Jaconski enthusiastically stepped up to help in sanding the ornaments, which were each engraved with one of the following logos: U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, or Veteran USA. In total, the group donated around 140 ornaments.
