Rockwood Engineering and Technology Club builds benches for the Great Allegheny Passage Bike Trail

Rockwood Area School District Club members: Shawn Benner, Lilly May, Austin Reel, Mr. Joe Kush, David Murphy, Abram Minor, Matt Truszka

For the past twenty-plus years until he recently passed away, Gene Kelly of Rockwood made wood benches for Somerset County’s 43 miles of the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP). This year, the torch has been passed to Rockwood School District students in the Engineering & Technology Club’s after-school program.

The students learned to use woodworking tools and manufacturing techniques to mass produce five to seven benches. Each bench is engraved to highlight a person or organization who sponsored the bench through the Somerset County Recreation and Trails Association. In addition to bench building, the students also worked on team building, leadership and social skills. The team recently completed a bench in honor of Gene Kelly’s years of dedicated service to the GAP trail.