Example of a toy box GU theatre students made for children. Photo by Peter Tormey.
Gonzaga University theatre students are working like elves to make this Christmas a little more special for at least a dozen area children this year, thanks to a special partnership with Habitat for Humanity.
Gonzaga students in the Costume Construction and Stagecraft classes have made 12 one-of-a-kind boxes for toys that will be sold at the Habitat for Humanity store on Trent Avenue in Spokane. The festive toy boxes will be ready Monday afternoon (Dec. 6), once they receive the finishing touch: Comfy, hand-sewn seat cushions.
The project is a collaborative effort with the Habitat for Humanity store. Habitat provided the paint, hinges, lid supports and lumber, and the Gonzaga theatre students did all the work, said John Hofland, associate professor of theatre. All proceeds from sales of the toy boxes will support Habitat for Humanity’s efforts to build homes for the poor.
Students in the Stagecraft class built the intricate boxes as a culminating project on stage construction techniques. Students in the costuming class sewed pads that will be placed on the lids of the boxes, providing seats for the children.
“Knowing they were building these for some children’s Christmas made the project much more meaningful for our students, and raised standards for the work,” Hofland said. The seats will be installed on the toy boxes Monday and will then be ready to deliver to the Habitat for Humanity store.
For more information, please contact John Hofland at (509) 313-6657 or via e-mail at hofland@gonzaga.edu.
Article originally posted Dec. 3rd on the Gonzaga News Service: http://news.gonzaga.edu/