BUTTE – It takes a stable of strong workhorses to put together a carousel. But this crew of volunteers said the hard work is worth it.
“It’s been a lot of fun. We’ve really enjoyed it. It’s a little work, but it’s for a great cause and I think a lot of children are going to really enjoy it,” said volunteer Ed Curran.
The Spirit of Columbia Gardens carousel is a replica of the one that was destroyed in a fire in 1973. This replica has been an ongoing project for 20 years and each horse has its own unique look.
“They’re all wood and they’ve been hand carved over the last 20 years here in Butte, a lot of the great carvers have passed on that put them together,” Curran said.
There are 32 different horses on the carousel. Those working on the project look forward to the day when this carousel rides again.
“I think we’ll smile when we see the kids in here. We had a kindergarten class in here last week and they were so thrilled and so happy. It kind of made it all worthwhile,” Curran said.
The group is hoping the public will get a chance to take the new carousel for a spin by the middle of next month.
