HANCOCK — The Copper Country Intermediate School District Career and Technical Education Welding class has built a field chair to donate to Equipment Loans for Kids, for use with students with physical disabilities who would like to participate on their school teams. The chair can be used to athletes to participate in shot put or discus.

The Michigan High School Athletic Association, due to the efforts of senior Maria Velat and Houghton High School, has changed their rules to allow for an adaptive category in track and field starting this spring.

In order to support this change, Equipment Loans for Kids (a local durable medical equipment loaner closet that has been around for the past 11 years) asked for a grant from the Portage Health Auxiliary, and approached the CTE Welding class to fabricate a field chair for them.

The students designed and fabricated the chair using standards from the National Paralympic committee. It will be put to use this 2022 track season, to allow a local student to throw shot put and discus as a member of Houghton’s track team.