September 19, 2022 (Chattanooga, TN) --- When the air conditioning unit at the Dayton welding site needed to be replaced, Brian Day, the HVAC technician assigned to the job thought it would just be a usual assignment.

Upon his arrival at ChattState’s Dayton Welding site, HVAC technician Brian Day noticed a picture on the wall of a BBQ smoker that the welding students had constructed. A conversation ensued between Talion Johnson, ChattState welding instructor and Mr. Day about the possibility of the students making a smoker for him. Day uses his smokers to help support the fundraising efforts of various nonprofit organizations including his church and Sale Creek High School athletic programs.

After receiving approval by ChattState administrators, Day provided all the materials for the build and waited patiently as the smoker was constructed. In appreciation for the work being done, Mr. Day brought food he smoked with trimmings to the class three times during the build. Then, as a treat for finishing the project before Labor Day weekend, Day provided the class with a final meal. “Brian has been very generous to the class,” stated Mr. Johnson. “He also donated the unused materials and the paint gun used to paint the smoker.”

Happy with his new smoker, Day used it to cook 700 pork butts to raise money for his daughter’s softball team at Sale Creek High. “When all is said and done, Brian said he should clear roughly $20K to donate to the softball program,” noted Johnson.

Students who helped with the design and build included Jacob O’Neill, Britney Davis, Kari Johnson, and Tyler Conley, while Chip Robeson, Roy Scates, Sam Bruns, Tatum Wallace, Hunter King, Micah Branyon, and Luke Brown participated in the build.

The Welding Technology program at Chattanooga State’s Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) offers classes in Chattanooga, Dayton, and Kimball. Technical instruction and skill development enables students to find gainful employment in the welding field with an average median page of more than $42K. For more information, call (423) 697-4433 or in Dayton, call (423) 365-5010.