Ishpeming High School advanced construction teacher Ron Grochowski, left, and his students work on the Santa’s Workshop structure during class Tuesday. (Journal photo by Trinity Carey)

MARQUETTE — One of the most anticipated moments for children each holiday season is visiting Santa. For residents of Ishpeming and surrounding communities, stopping by Santa’s Workshop between Black Friday and Christmas has become a tradition throughout the years.

Unfortunately in August, a suspected arson incident led to the destruction of the workshop, located between mBank and the Iron Range Agency. The community quickly pulled together to ensure the holiday tradition would live on. Just a few days later, former Ishpeming resident Tim Easterwood donated the full cost needed to rebuild the workshop and local high school students decided to take on the construction portion of the project.

The Ishpeming High School Advanced Construction Class has been working to rebuild the workshop since September and the structure is on track to be completed in time for its usual season.

A student approached advanced construction teacher Ron Grochowski just after the incident asking him if the class could take on the project, which is not only a great way to get involved with the community, but is a learning experience for the students, he said.

“It’s excellent experience for framing. It’s a small job, so all the students get to do a part of it all the way through,” Grochowski said. “From setting it on the foundation, to the shingles, to the siding, every part of the project they get their hands on, where in a bigger project they don’t get that.”

The project has been an invaluable experience and a joy to watch as an educator, Grochowski said.

“Some jump right in and really learn their trade,” he said. “We know that the community is going to love it and also the students get a chance to get involved in giving back. It’s really nice. The community stuff is going by the wayside but small communities are able to still do this kind of thing.”

Fulfilling a community need has been the most exciting part for senior and third year advanced construction student Gavin Argall.

“It’s nice to give back and see everyone’s reaction,” Argall said. “For so long it’s been a big tradition for a lot of families to come down and see Santa and take pictures. It’s nice to have something like that for the community to bring us all together for the holiday season.”

Argall has always had an interest in construction and being able to work with his classmates on such a project is an experience he will take forward in his career, he said.

“It’s been a fun experience, especially knowing that it’s going to a good cause,” Argall said.

Students have been working through the snow flurries to complete as much of the project as possible, but with upcoming academic breaks and growing incliment weather, the project will be moved in the coming days to the Ishpeming Department of Public Works garage. Lead volunteer on Santa’s Workshop Brett Anttila and others will complete the project in the next two weeks to assure it’s ready for its annual appearance in the Ishpeming Christmas Parade the day after Thanksgiving.

Anttila was responsible for refurbishing a previous workshop that was destroyed by a wind storm and building the most recent structure that was destroyed by the fire. Naturally, he was prepared to take on the project of the next workshop.

“It wasn’t really a question of if we were going to do it again, it was just let’s get rolling on it again, eh?”

Anttila enjoys working on the structure and being a part of the city’s Christmas celebration, but when he heard of the students’ interest, he thought it would be a good way to get more of the community involved, he said.

“I thought it was neat when the kids came forward,” he said. “There’s not too many kids these days who want to be involved, you know how things are in society today. They can look at it and look at something they did in the community and be proud of it also, maybe it’ll spur into something bigger.”

While the project has come to a close for the construction class, Anttila said the students are still welcome to come help complete the workshop in the coming weeks. There is still building and decorating to be done before Santa’s Workshop is ready for the roughly 1,000 people Anttila believes the celebration attracts.

“We’re in the end-push. It’s crunch time, but it’s not going to be an issue. It will be done. We just want everyone to be excited about that day and come down there,” Anttila said. “The kids get to go there and see Santa Claus. It’s something the city of Ishpeming has always had as a tradition and people that are going there now, it’s been around long enough, were kids when they were going and now they’re bringing their children in. It’s that tradition that everybody does.”

Trinity Carey can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 206. Her email address is tcarey@miningjournal .net.