HELOTES, Texas — A local teenager is calling for help while showcasing her immense talent. A 17-year-old high school student built a 27' gooseneck trailer, on her own. Emily Felty has been traveling across Texas showing the trailer in competitions. However, for an upcoming show she also wants to give back.
"I can definitely see from the outside it would be a little surprising," the teen said. "It is normal to me, because I have been doing it for a long time."
Felty has been building things at a young age.
"The last two years, I built trailers," she said. "I did a utility trailer, then a stock trailer."
Her latest project took eight months, and about 468 hours of hard work.
"I spent my entire summer fabricating it," she said. "This was kind of the next step to get a little bit harder was to incorporate hydraulics, as well as building a gooseneck."
All by hand, the teen who attends the Agriculture Science & Technology Academy built a 27 foot gooseneck trailer. It is her FFA project and she competes in agricultural mechanics.
"It is definitely something that me and my dad needed," she said. "We own a metal business and we are always going to the steel shop."
She built it last year, and has been competing in shows across Texas, placing in every single one of them. The trailer is decked out. She even has a sense of humor with decals on the trailer.
"This one says warning I did all the welding myself," she read as she showed the decal on the trailer.
In May, the teen will be competing in the panhandle. She knows that area was devastated by wildfires. So, she wants to help others when she goes up to the area to compete.
"I have room on my trailer to haul supplies," she said.
She is currently raising funds to buy fencing supplies. She is calling it Emily's Project and wrote the below letter explaining her mission:
"Hello, my name is Emily Felty. I'm a junior at the Agriculture Science and Technology Academy, and a member of both the ASTA FFA chapter and Helotes 4-H. This year, I built a 27' gooseneck trailer for my agriculture mechanics project. I've been taking it to shows all across the state of Texas. I will be attending a show in the Panhandle this May. Wanting to help farmers and ranchers that were affected by the recent wildfires, I initiated a donation drive to gather funds for supplies to take to the Panhandle.
The community of Canadian, Texas, was hit hard by the recent fires and needs our help, specifically with fencing materials. Initially aiming for $2,000 to purchase hay and feed, I redirected my efforts toward purchasing fencing supplies upon reaching out to the Canadian County extension office. Thanks to community support, I've raised approximately $5,200, allowing me to purchase two pallets of barbed wire.
With more space on my trailer, I'm aiming to add a couple of units of t-posts, totaling around $2,100, and possibly additional materials depending on my final fundraising total. To boost awareness, I've had my parents use social media to share videos and posts about my donation drive. Additionally, I've set up a donation account at Jupe Mills Helotes Feed Store and placed donation buckets with informational flyers at supportive local businesses. I'm truly grateful for the community support that I have received to assist those in need. With four weeks remaining before my trip to the Panhandle, I hope to continue receiving support and collecting donations."
"Always give back to those in bigger need," the teen said.
The cut off to donate is on May 5, which is right before the competition. There are several ways and locations to give back, including calling or going by Jupe Mills Feed Store in Helotes. It is located at 14096 Bandera Road, 210-695-3551.
She also has donation containers at HTeaO BDaddy's BBQ, or The Meadows located in the area.