Pirate ship sails into Polson
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POLSON — Not every 7-year-old has a pirate ship playhouse in his driveway. But Don McFarland does, and he was very excited when the Blackhawk arrived on Oct. 22.
John and Jiyun McFarland had been camping with their son, Don, in Seeley Lake in August before school started. On a trip to the market, the family saw the pirate ship playhouse, which was being raffled off as a fundraiser for Seeley Lake High School.
“This guy wanted to play in it,” John said, motioning to a smiling Don. So they bought tickets and returned another day for more tickets. Then came the call telling the McFarlands they’d won the playhouse, and it would be delivered to their Polson home.
Doug “Hoot” Richards made the Blackhawk, a two-deck pirate ship complete with a cabin, a ladder, a steering wheel and a mast. Richards has a soft spot for children; he also works at a camp for kids with cancer.
The fundraiser will help improve the school for the Seeley Lake Blackhawk athletes.
“We’re trying to put a track in at the high school,” said Shawn Holmes, history and industrial education teacher athletic director at Seeley Lake High School. The pirate ship raised approximately $7,000 for the track.
“I was really impressed with the community effort,” John said.
Holmes and Richards trailered the playhouse to the McFarlands, and John helped the two men unload the weighty ship from a flatbed trailer using PVC pipes and steel pipes to roll the boat to its home in the driveway.
After patiently
waiting, Don finally got to explore the pirate ship.
