The Emporia Gazette

May 28, 2012

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Food For Students will benefit from Williams Automotive’s annual building and fundraising project this year.

In their fifth year of building for a cause that benefits children in the Emporia area, Williams Automotive takes on their biggest project yet: an 11-x-10 cedar-sided garden shed, large enough to comfortably house a riding lawn mower and outfitted with enough tools to meet any lawn or garden project.

At five dollars apiece, raffle tickets are now being sold to win the garden shed at a drawing in January.

Choosing Food For Students, a locally-based initiative aimed at providing weekend “to-go” bags of food for children in Emporia schools who come from food-insecure households, was as an easy choice for Rex and Debbie Williams, owners of Williams Automotive.

“We’ve brought food into The Gazette [for Food For Students] and it just seems like a logical fit,” said Debbie Williams, who has spearheaded this fundraising project with her husband, Rex Williams.

“Its a great cause and an easy sell for the tickets this year,” she said.

Another reason the Williams’ hope the tickets will be such an easy sell is because of the unique nature of this year’s project.

“Its the biggest and best looking shed we’ve built so far,” said Rex Williams. In the past, the size and scope of the project has been advertised as a playhouse. But this year the Williamses hope to reach a wider audience by building a garden shed with more space and functionality.

“And we’re focused on making the most money this year because of where the money is going,” he said. “It really tugs at your heartstrings.”

Valued at around $5,000, the garden shed will be sided with cedar and sealed for all-weather protection. The gabled roof, at nearly 11 feet tall, is covered with 30-year Timberline shingles. It will have a lighted 3-foot wide front porch, a standard-sized front door, four windows, a large 5 X 7 ft. sliding door on the back and a finished interior, complete with a light fixture and an electrical outlet.

With over 50 hours of labor invested in the project, it has taken a team of people and businesses to complete the project.

While Williams Automotive has donated labor and some supplies toward the project, other individuals and businesses have also donated their services: Sutherlands donated the lumber, doors and windows; Bill Redeker, Michael and Sheila Williams donated labor and supplies; Groh Printing donated the raffle tickets; Printing Plus donated the banners; and Waters True Value donated a variety of garden equipment that will come with the garden shed.

Chris Walker, a coordinator of Food For Students, is excited about the fundraising project. “It is very generous of Rex, Debbie and the other sponsors to do this every year,” he said. “They donate so much time, energy and money toward these buildings with one goal in mind and that is to better the lives of Emporia children.

“We are very grateful that this year’s raffle sales will go toward Food For Students. If the shed brings $5000 that’s great, but we really want to blow the doors off of it and raise $10,000. It’s about more than getting a high-quality building, it’s about helping to feed hungry kids in Emporia.”

The garden shed will be on public display for the first time in the Christmas Parade on November 29 and then showcased at Sutherlands until the January drawing.

Tickets can be purchased at Williams Automotive, Sutherlands, Waters TrueValue, Groh Printing, The Emporia Gazette and from Bill Redeker, Pit Stop Fast Lube.

Other businesses that would like to sell tickets should contact Rex Williams at 343-0086.