The Home Builders Association of Midwest Georgia has earned a coveted Georgia Outstanding Association Leadership award from the Home Builders Association of Georgia (HBAG).

The award, which was presented at HBAG's Fall State Board Meeting, was given for the local association's role in the “Barn Raising” project for the Joseph Sams School in Fayetteville. The Joseph Sams School, which serves children with special needs, worked through Jeff Ellis and Doug Walker, members of the school's board of directors who are also active members of the Home Builders Association of Midwest Georgia, to involve the local HBA members in the project.

The Midwest Georgia HBA was asked to coordinate an “Old Fashioned Barn Raising” for the school's new building with the home of raising the interior and exterior walls in one day, using donated materials and volunteer help.

Midwest Georgia HBA Past President Ellis of Community Development Corporation and Walker of Walker Concrete, an association board member representing associate members, assisted in coordinating all volunteers for the project. The HBA and the school sent out press releases which were published in local papers, and announcements soliciting volunteers were made at the January and February HBA dinner meetings.

Work on the building was broken up into four sections, and a builder board member from the association was named as team leader for each of the four sections of the building. Each team leader then worked with the volunteers to construct and raise the walls.

As a result, the project was completed in less than three hours, as approximately 400 volunteers from the community turned out to help. Twenty-five of these volunteers and the four team leaders were Midwest Georgia HBA members. The products were donated by Home Depot and several Midwest Georgia association members, including Williams Brothers, Metro Builders Supply, Central Builders Supply, Plymart, and Carolina Builders.

The framers were also association members from JDC Construction and Southern Framing. Robin Keesal, executive officer of the Midwest Georgia HBA, said the project was well received by the Fayette community and the media, receiving coverage in local papers for weeks following the event.

“Our association members who participated have also expressed enjoyment in participating in this worthwhile community project,” she said.

The Home Builders Association of Midwest Georgia, which serves builders in Fayette, Coweta, Spalding, Heard and Meriwether Counties, currently has around 395 members. More information about the association can be obtained by calling the association office at (770) 716-7109. #

caption OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS of the Home Builders Association of Midwest Georgia are shown during recent visit to the Joseph Sams School. From left are Greg Pruitt, builder director; Jerry Tedder, past president and state director; Doug Walker, associate director; Curt Hirsch, associate director; Mac McKinney, builder director; Bob Barnard, past president and state and national director; Randy Hayes, past president and state and national director; Eddie Lusher, treasurer; Jeff Bestill, president and state director; Kenny Johnson, past president and state and national director; Mike Robinson, Sales & Marketing Council president; Liz Taylor, associate director; Chad Floyd, secretary; Dennis Floyd, immediate past president and national director; Greg Harrell, associate vice president; and Robin Keesal, executive officer.