Old campus gets facelift
By MeShae Hankerson Intern

They're not from here ... but that doesn't matter.

Eighty-nine high school students and 29 adults from Lake Forest, Ill., spent last week repairing, painting and cleaning up one of the county's most historic campuses, Boggs Rural Life Center (BRLC).

For 30 years, the First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest has been taking its youth ministry on annual work study trips.

Each year the group takes a trip to one site in need of renovations and repairs.

Jim Cochrane, a member of the BRLC Board of directors, recommended the group come to Boggs.

The group has visited Boggs before and were no strangers to the area.

Whereas in the past, the group worked together on one big undertaking, this year's plan was to split into groups and take on several different projects.

One of these was the pool area.

"When we got here, this was just a concrete wall," said advisor John Johnson, pointing to the newly painted building adjacent to the pool. "Now the building has a roof, the rusty lighting fixtures have been removed and the pool is clean and ready for use."

STAFF - MESHAE HANKERSON

Sixteen-year-old artist Mimi Jahp created a fish themed mural that serves as a reminder of each team member's contribution.

"It's really tedious work," she said while outlining more than 100 different fish.

Jahp sketched a fish for each member of the group, who personalized them, in turn, to their liking.

For Christine Mauro, 18, putting a roof on the pool facility was the most fun.

A crane was brought in on Monday to set the trusses up for the building's roof. All other work was done by the church's roof crew led by advisor Jim Mynhier.

During a break from roofing, Mauro admitted she'd never heard of Waynesboro prior to the trip.

"I was really excited to come because I'd never been to Georgia," she said.

While their friends back home were hanging out at the mall, talking on the phone or napping, these kids were hard at work, removing old equipment from the once all-girls dorm, painting the dining hall and creating a baseball diamond.

When they weren't working, they spent their time trying to catch a cell phone signal or hanging out at Wal-Mart.

Mark Scidel, 17, spent a lot of his time eating the southern food provided by community volunteers. "We're not here for the food, but it does show the community's thankfulness," said Scidel. "It gives us the momentum to want to do more."

Kristie Finley, director of the church's youth ministry, was excited about the positive impact the project had on the kids.

"When kids come from an affluent community, it's important for them to experience what it's like to help others," said Finley.

Members of the alumni board are looking forward to getting Boggs up and running.

The group's work came just in time for a community event the alumni association has planned.

Boggs will be open Saturday June 30, to celebrate Junefest, an event geared toward bringing life back to the center.

"We want to move beyond what Boggs used to be," said alumnus Allene Reed. "We want to show the community that Boggs is still here and doing well."

Junefest will be held 9 a.m.-6 p.m., and activities include the rededication of the swimming pool, music provided by area bands and choral groups and a Boggs Idol Contest.

Cash prizes will be given to the winners of the contest. Admission is free.

STAFF - ELIZABETH BILLIPS, MESHAE HANKERSON