The Bethesda Barnbuilders, a local volunteer group, will finish work in March on a newly renovated pavilion for students and guests at Bethesda Academy. The school will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the completed structure on Monday, March 19 at 11:30 a.m. The event is open to the public and a light lunch will be served.

The Barnbuilders are doubling the size of the pavilion and adding a screened-in area. The group built the picnic pavilion in 2000 and have been expanding and improving it since.

The pavilion will be used for school functions and will be available for guests to rent for events.

“The Barnbuilders have a special place on Bethesda’s campus,” said Mike Hughes, president of Bethesda Academy. “Our students and faculty have watched this group dedicate Monday mornings to our school for the last 20 years, and these men are a true example of hard work and genuine character for our young men.”

The Bethesda Barnbuilders have met at Bethesda Academy every Monday since 1998. On average, 12 men work on various projects at the school each Monday between 8 a.m. and noon. The group consists primarily of retired men who live on Skidaway Island. This year, the group received a grant from the Landings Landlovers to offset costs of the pavilion renovations.

As Bethesda’s Maintenance Director, Beau Lynah did an analysis a few years ago to value the work completed annually by the Barnbuilders and believes a conservative estimate is right around $200,000 each year. Projects completed by the Barnbuilders include, among others, a repair of the alumni cottage, an athletic trainer suite and new football lockers for the JV team.