State Representative Taps IRSC Welding Students to Prepare for Special Martin County Race
State Representative Taps IRSC Welding Students to Prepare for Special Martin County Race
October 13, 2023 Jon Pine
UPDATE: Rep. Overdorf's team took first place in the race on October 14. “IRSC’s Welding
program has an excellent reputation, and I knew this was an opportunity for the students
to use their training in a practical and enjoyable way,” Overdorf said. "Not only
did they build the winning frame, instructor Walt Posten was on hand as our day-of-event
pit crew. This was an absolutely great project!”
FORT PIERCE—Florida State Representative Tobin Rogers “Toby” Overdorf, (R-District
85), is preparing for an upcoming race—but not a political one. This race is the Fourth
Annual Family Promise of Martin County Bed Races, a charity event set for Saturday,
October 14, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 600 S.E. Flagler Ave. in Stuart. Organized to benefit
homeless children in the Martin County School System, this race isn’t about a political
campaign, but building a bed to compete in a race to prevent childhood homelessness.
Photo courtesy of Florida Film Company.
IRSC Welding Instructors Walt Posten and Austin Wiest and students Shawn Lagrega, Conner Gillard and Ryan Henson worked about 30 hours to build a bed that Rep. Overdorf and his team can be proud to enter in the competition. According to the race rules, the bed must not be higher than eight feet, must be twin size or larger and must include a box spring, a mattress, or both. There are five people per team—one must ride in the bed while the other four members push. Beds may have push bars, but the bars cannot extend more than 16 inches. Beds must have four wheels, but the wheels do not have to be the same size. And, of course, no motors allowed.
From left, students Shawn Lagrega, Conner Gillard and Ryan Henson, instructors Austin Wiest and Walt Posten, and Rep. Toby Overdorf.
The students donated their time before and after class time to complete the project. “We really appreciated the opportunity to share our skills and be apart of such a worthwhile charity project,” said Posten, who has been teaching welding at IRSC for 17 years.
Overdorf provided some of the aluminum stock, while additional stock was donated by Southeast Elevator, and for the wheels, Posten scrounged two bicycles from local thrift stores, Posten said. The back wheels include some of the bike frames, turned upside down and welded to the bottom of the bed frame. The front wheels include the forks from the bikes and are connected to long bars for steering.
Family Promise of Martin County is part of a national organization with a model of utilizing interfaith networks and community-based approaches to prevent childhood homelessness. Family Promise is the only organization with a focus on keeping families together through intensive case management and mentorship. The annual race is the organizations biggest fundraising event of the year and exemplifies the hardship experiences by homeless families who often face the uncertainty of having a bed to sleep in each night.
