This year’s “Tradition With a Vision” Homecoming community service project may be sprouting a tradition of its own.

As a joint effort with the George Washington Carver Committee and the Story County chapter of Habitat for Humanity, the Iowa State Homecoming Committee has started its first “blitz-build” home building — a project that will build a house for a Habitat for Humanity family in five days.

Construction on the house starts today at the east end of Jack Trice Stadium, and the finished product will be on display throughout Homecoming weekend.

“[It shows] the tradition of community service working to help Iowa State students out,” said Tracy Griffin, Homecoming coordinator and senior in journalism and mass communication.

Three sets of about 25 volunteers, each from the greek system and various campus clubs, will help build the house in shifts. There are three shifts each day from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

“The project is showing Iowa State students are still working hard and with care for the community,” said Dirk Glynn, Government of the Student Body community service co-chairman and senior in agriculture studies.

Roger Stover, professor of finance, is a member of the board of directors for the Story County Habitat for Humanity, a member of the George Washington Carver Committee and building coordinator for the Habitat for Humanity house.

He said only the exterior of the 1,134 square-foot house will be completed on steel beams at the stadium.

The interior will be finished when the house is moved after the Homecoming weekend to its permanent location at 414 Cottonwood St. in Roland.

The decision to move the house after its construction in Ames was made to increase awareness of the community project.

“Building the house in Ames raised the visibility for all involved,” Stover said.

The house will be established in Roland because the cost of buying a lot there was less expensive than purchasing land in Ames.

“We could buy a lot in Roland for about $5,000, and an equivalent in Ames would probably cost $30,000,” Stover said.

Construction costs for the three-bedroom house total $55,000 — $30,000 of which was raised by the Story County chapter of Habitat for Humanity, and $25,000 of which was raised by ISU from both private donors and fundraising.

Most of the money has gone to building materials and land for the house, and $10,000 will go to moving the house from the building site in Ames to the Roland lot.

Fundraising by the university included the “Bring a Buck — Build a Home” campaign held last week, in which the Homecoming Committee raised more than $3,000 in student donations, Griffin said, which was matched by a $3,000 donation from McDonald’s.

Stover said Norwest Bank has also been a major contributor to the Story County chapter of Habitat for Humanity and donated $5,000 to the Homecoming community service project.

All costs will be repaid to Habitat for Humanity by the family that moves into the completed house in an interest-free mortgage.

The family of six must also contribute 500 hours into the construction and will be responsible for property taxes.

“If I could have had an ideal dream, it would be to build our own home,” said recipient Cathy Steward, who is a 1990 graduate of ISU.

Family members took part in designing their ranch-style house with the help of volunteer architect and Story County Habitat for Humanity President John Lott.

Cathy and Steve Steward and their four children, ages 7, 4, 3 and 14 months, hope to move into the finished home in about a month.

“We are very excited that things are moving so fast,” Cathy Steward said. “It’s neat to be part of such a historical type of thing as the ‘blitz-build.'”

Though this is the first time a house has been “blitz-built” in Story County, it is not the first time the Homecoming Committee has worked with Habitat for Humanity. Last year volunteers helped restore a house in Kelley.

“It went so well last year, we decided to build a whole house instead of just refurbish it,” said Mike Pellett, GSB community service co-chairman and senior in agriculture systems technology.

“It’s a way ISU students can show their support for the community and a great accomplishment to be able to build a house in five days.”