Versatility counts
VALENCIA — The Everson boys never back off from a challenge.
Sam Everson recently engineered construction of a monument honoring the numerous veterans buried at Glade Run Cemetery in Middlesex Township.
He and his younger brother, Ben, are both members of the fencing team at Aquinas Academy.
“I was in sixth grade, (Sam) was in eighth and we decided to try it together,” Ben said.
Now a 14-year-old freshman at Aquinas, Ben — like his older sibling — is into much more than fencing.
He has a Brown Belt in Kung Fu. He is a member of the chess club and debate team at school. And he's been into wood-turning for a year and a half now.
“Ben has always been a creative person and this is a great outlet for his creativity,” said Tara Everson, his mother.
Acquiring much of his wood-turning materials from Turners Warehouse, Ben also signed up for the company's newsletter. It was there he saw information about Turners Warehouse's charity auction for St. Jude.
Submitted homemade Christmas ornaments would be put up for auction. People were able to choose one of six categories to enter in hopes of winning a prize.
“It (contest) looked pretty cool, so I decided to try it,” Ben said. “I really wasn't looking to win a prize. It was a fun way to contribute to a charity.”Ben used his wood-turning skills to create three ornaments. With the bidding still going on, he has already raised $185 for St. Jude Charities.And his Christmas tree ornament won first prize nationally in the Junior (under 17) Division.There were 113 people entered in the contest overall.“It took me five to eight hours to make each one,” Ben said of his ornaments. He used a lathe to make shapes out of wood in constructing the ornaments.“I never thought I'd win,” Ben admitted. “But a contest is a challenge and I wanted to do the best job I could.”Ben received a $100 gift card for his prize. The contest and auction had no entry fee. The submitted ornament serves as the entry.Ben said he got into wood-turning to make unique gifts for friends and family. He makes rings and pens out of various wood and resin combinations. He made a replica Harry Potter wand for a friend.“He researches different woods and their characteristics to make custom pieces for friends and family,” Mrs. Everson said.He plans to carve and turn a chess set over Christmas break.“I want to carve the chess pieces and the board,” Ben said. “It will take at least 15 hours of work, but I'll spread that out over time.”Other projects Ben has worked on around the home include rebuilding a wrap-around porch and building a large treehouse.The 2020-21 fencing season is on hold until January, due to the coronavirus outbreak. Ben said the team has some scrimmages scheduled in January.He has plenty to keep him busy in the meantime.“I'm hoping to be able to sell some of my (wood-turning) projects and use that money toward college down the road,” Ben said.“Winning that contest was pretty exciting. If you sink time and effort into something, good things can happen.”
