Students help beautify AMVETS 312

NORTH PORT — Three North Port High school seniors and their art teacher teamed up to beautify a storage unit at AMVETS Post 312.

Kathy Rolls, a North Port High staff member, contacted instructor Phu Nguyen.

The AMVETS post off of Chancellor Boulevard had purchased some large, metal storage crates. Rolls thought it would be a good idea to paint one.

Phu agreed. And so he organized a team of three student artists, one being his son.

Students Bailey Nguyen, Skylar Gibson and Halle Hammack got to work with Phu, and turned the formerly cream-colored, rusted bin into an eye-catching masterpiece paying homage to veterans.

The painting shows a pair of combat boots — with one of which holding flowers — directly in front of an American flag. Also featured is a bald eagle along with “AMVETS 312” painted under its talons.

Hammack designed the painting. The quartet painted for about 10 hours total, over three days.

First, it would have to be primed. Brown paint was used to cover up the previous cream color.

Gibson, then, worked on the left boot and painted the shoelaces on both.

Along with designing it, Hammack also painted the right boot and flowers.

Nguyen swept up and made sure everything was good to go. He did part of the flag and other spaces that needed to be done as required.

Post 312 officials Carl Reis and Terry Cheney thanked the students along with Phu Nguyen and Rolls, telling them they did a great job.

Although it was hot on some days, they made sure to wrap up before 11:30 a.m., according to Nguyen. The team had a lot of fun along the way, he said.

Hammack even said she would be happy to do it all again some day.