Saturday morning still short of 9:30, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football coach Tom Arth nevertheless was feeling the effects of some serious manual labor on his 36-year-old body.
“I’ve been carrying a lot of heavy stuff,” Arth said with a weary smile. “I don’t know what it is, but my forearms are already tired.”
Arth, his Mocs and a lot of other folks were busy hauling heavy metal parts for state-of-the-art playground equipment on the grounds of the large red brick building at 2029 East 23rd St. That refurbished structure will serve as the new home for the Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence Lower School.
“All these volunteers will save us at least $20,000 in labor costs,” said Michelle Saunders, the school’s assistant director, athletic director and track and field coach. “It’s a huge help.”
All those volunteers encompassed so many more people than the 50 or more UTC players and coaches. The Electric Power Board brought in a large crew. Construction companies from GreenForm, J. Cumby and Ox chipped in. Home Depot and Ace Hardware contributed, too. And when all those volunteers got hungry, nearby restaurants Bojangles, Burger King, Hardee’s, Home Slice Pizza, Laughing Sprouts, Papa John’s and others all donated food, drinks and assistance.