Suwanee Magazine Interviews Creator, Andrew Winton
The City of Suwanee is known for it’s greenspaces and many parks. A new, unique feature at Sims Lake Park is a ping pong table built by Collins Hill High School Sophomore, Andrew Winton. Winton recently completed the table for an Eagle Scout project. Suwanee Magazine interviewed Winton about the impressive project:
Can you tell us a little bit about how and why you choose the ping pong table as your Eagle Scout project?
I didn’t want to build benches because a lot of my friends have built benches for their projects. I was looking for a unique idea that I was interested in. So, originally I was going to build checker tables out of wood, but I came across this idea on the Internet when researching the wooden checker tables. I thought a concrete ping pong table would be pretty awesome.
How was the table made and how long did it take to build?
The first step was setting up the frame work which consisted of a large wooden frame for the top and two sonnet tubes, cardboard hollow cylinders, dug into the ground for the base. We also bent and tied rebar. On the second day we mixed 78 80lb bags of cement using shovels. The third day we came back and smoothed out the top of the table using stones and paving tools. Two weeks later we applied a concrete stainer to the whole table. The actual construction part of the table took four days and about 16 hours.
How did you decide Sims Lake Park would be the best place for it?
Mr. Bill Barnes (Assistant to the Director of Public Works) is who helped connect me with Suwanee and said that Sims Lake is where Suwanee wanted the table and it is also very family friendly.
How did you get into Cub Scouts/Boy Scouts and at what age?
I believe I was about 12 years old when I joined troop 513. I joined because my parents encouraged me and I had a couple friends in scouts as well.
Can you share some information about your troop and what is involved in becoming an Eagle Scout?
I am involved in troop 513. It is one of the larger troops in the local community to my knowledge. To become an Eagle Scout you need to be self-motivated and determined.
What has your experience been as a Boy Scout and as you are working to become an Eagle Scout?
It has been mostly positive. The different trips that I was able to go on through scouts have been pretty awesome. One specific one was a week-long kayaking trip in Canada’s lakes.
According to City of Suwanee’s Bill Barnes, there are several Eagle Scout projects park-goers have enjoyed throughout the City of Suwanee, including:
Outdoor Classroom at Suwanee Creek Park
Built by Will Lippman
Lippman’s bench design has become the preferred design for Eagle projects in the City as it is low maintenance, sturdy and practically indestructible.
Floating and Standing Duck Boxes at Sims Lake Park Built and maintained by Matthew Jenni.
Matthew is a highly decorated Eagle Scout having earned awards above and beyond the Eagle Scout Award.
For more information about Boy Scouts and local packs, visit scouting.org.
