THOMASVILLE — The Bottlecaps to Benches effort reached Harper Elementary School on Friday morning.

A buddy bench made from recycled bottle caps was unveiled Friday morning. The buddy benches are places where students can sit when they feel alone or feel as if they need a friend. 

The Bottlecaps to Benches was a Thomas University Camp STEMtastic initiative. The students collected thousands of bottle caps, with the intention of having those pieces of plastic turned into buddy benches. 

The Bottlecaps to Benches grew out of a natural resources stewardship segment from the camp.

“This is a great experience for our campers,” said Jen Hamilton, who taught at Harper for three years and now works at Florida State University. 

The Camp STEMtastic kids took 234,000 bottle caps, more than the goal of of 2,000 pounds of caps, to Indiana, where they were turned into benches.

“We far exceeded that,” Hamilton said of the goal. “You guys have been incredible.”

Thomas University’s April Penton said the effort has gotten notice, and support, from other corners of the state — and from across state lines.

“My car is filled with bottle caps from the Florida Correctional Institute,” she said.

First Commerce Credit Union, a Camp STEMtastic sponsor, paid for the Harper bench to be made. The bottle caps used to make it came from an excess of caps the Thomas County School System collected. 

“One of the things that really excited us about this donation is the commitment and the charity and the support not only of the city schools but the county schools,” said Heath Dawson, FCCU senior partner. “The big focus was the reinvestment in the community. We wanted to see our youth being impacted. We’re very excited what Thomas University is doing in the community.”

Editor Pat Donahue can be reached at (229) 226-2400 ext. 1806.