Students Build 28-Foot Eiffel Tower Tribute

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Cherokee High School’s welding and Skills USA students have constructed a 28-foot Eiffel Tower tribute to display at the school and then at Hobgood Park for the Holiday Lights of Hope fundraiser.

The tower, topped with a French flag, was set up the morning of Monday, Nov. 30 and will remain in place on Tuesday.

The tower will then be wired with lights for the fundraiser and transported to Hobgood Park in Towne Lake.

The Holiday Lights of Hope display, which benefits the Anna Crawford Children’s Center, is open at 6 p.m. nightly Dec. 10–22.

Each year, the Cherokee welding students build metal structures for the fundraiser. This year, the students were challenged to top their past accomplishments.

The Eiffel Tower tribute is 28-feet tall and was constructed to scale; it is made of steel and aluminum and was entirely designed and fabricated by the students, who also will complete the wiring themselves. It was constructed in four sections so it could be more easily moved. Students also are crafting other structures for the show, including rebar trees, stars and signs.

Mike Zoeckler, the school’s welding teacher, forged a partnership with Chart Industries that has made it possible for students to create these structures.

In addition to donating materials, supplies and welding tables, Chart has made significant investments in the school’s welding shop, including tweaking the layout, installing LED lighting and painting the floor.

The company’s next donation is a liquid Argon tank that will supply the entire shop.

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Photo credit: Jennifer Kemp/Facebook