Career and Technology Center students captured the community’s attention and support with the Pup House they built for the Habitat for Humanity of Smith County’s Pup Houses in the Plaza Charity Gala and Auction. The auction featured three other pup houses designed and built by local companies that partnered with nonprofit organizations that would benefit from the pup house prize winnings. All the houses drew significant interest, but the Tyler ISD CTC Pup House left a lasting impression.
“We’re so grateful for Tyler ISD’s participation,” said Habitat for Humanity of Smith County’s Chief Marketing and Development Officer Kaitlyn Shultz. “We look forward to the student’s participation again next year.”
SCI Construction’s Courthouse Doghouse set a high bar with a winning bid of $3,000, marking the auction’s highest bid. However, when Corey Richardson, a CTC construction teacher, and his student representative stepped up to talk about their Pup House, it was clear that this house had touched many hearts.
The initial bid for the student’s Pup House was a generous $1,750. But the excitement didn’t stop there. Five additional $250 add-ons quickly brought the bid to $3,000, matching SCI Construction’s bid. Then, a generous donor stepped in with an additional contribution, pushing Tyler ISD’s Pup House to a final winning bid of $3,200.
This impressive outcome gave the students bragging rights and earned their partner nonprofit, SPCA East Texas, a $1,000 prize.