by Nicole Farrell, senior editor

Weekends mean wheelchairs.

At least for senior Tyler Sevcik, who assembles wood and metal chairs that will be transported to countries in need about every other Saturday.

“In these countries, if you can’t walk, you either have to get someone to carry you, or drag yourself around,” Sevcik said.

Wheelchair assembly is part of the PET Project, which stands for Personal Energy Transportation, started by missionaries and product designers in 1995. Their mission statement says that they seek to “share the love of Jesus Christ while providing mobility and dignity to those in developing countries.” The design for the chairs is simple, but extremely practical.

“They’re basically terrain tricycles you power with your hands,” Sevcik said.

Sevcik has been involved with the organization for about a month, having heard about it through his dad. The Brazos Valley headquarters are located in Bryan, cooperating with Twin City Missions for a warehouse space.

All chairs are made from scratch. Sevcik assembles the wooden seat, fellow senior Hunter Hays assembles the metal part, and a local surgeon volunteers his time to weld the parts together. While senior Mitch Scarmardo is not yet involved in their projects, he expressed excitement at his future involvement.

“I’ll be a universal helper,” Scarmardo, who is eager to contribute in any way he can, said.

Once the chairs are properly assembled, Sevcik and his team places them in large shipping containers to be picked up and delivered by the PET Project.

PET constantly works on new ideas and new designs, and continues to give the “Gift of Mobility” to more people across the globe.

“It’s a good way to give back,” Sevcik said.

For more information on this project locally, you can visit the PET Project here.