Five war-bound cars, four stone maidens, two swans-a-swimming and now, a playground for the youth of Ames.

In the past, the Veishea committee has given gifts to Iowa State. However, this year it decided to do something different.

On April 1, more than 250 volunteers came together to work on Operation Playground II, a blitz-build of playground equipment for children at the Beloit Residential Treatment Center, 1323 Northwestern Ave.

The playground will benefit about 45 to 60 children, said Eric Peterson, Veishea general co-chairman and junior in agricultural business.

“This year it is more of a gift to the Ames community,” Peterson said.

Many past Veishea gifts have been especially memorable.

One gift students can see when they walk past Lake LaVerne. In 1935 the committee gave Iowa State the swans, Sir Lancelot and Elaine. The two were revealed on Lake LaVerne when the committee floated a barge decorated as a swan on the lake, with the swans sitting on top of it. The pair was later named at a contest.

In 1955 the University of Iowa gave its head football coach a Cadillac. Iowa State responded by raising money to give Maurice Helser, then-dean of the junior college, a Cadillac, as well. The university raised $5,000 from the campus. At the ceremony to give the gift, a dumbfounded Helser received the car.

To help the World War II effort, in 1944 the committee raised money to buy a Jeep. The fundraising ended up being so successful, the committee was able to buy five.

As a retirement gift in 1965, then-ISU President James Hilton was presented with an Oldsmobile as a gift of appreciation for his 12 years at Iowa State. Hilton still owned the car at the time of his death in 1982.

Other past Veishea gifts have included the Fountain of the Four Seasons north of the Memorial Union and the flagpole east of the Memorial Union.