DAPHNE, Ala. — Boy Scout members of Troop 87 spent between $3,000 and $4,000 — a lot of sweat equity, too — on their new, $60,000 meeting area.

After two and 1/2 years of work, the scouts will share the building with the community during a blessing and dinner, Sunday at 4 p.m., at the new facility on Knig-hts of Columbus property, on the corner of Main Street and Ryan Avenue.

The reception will recognize contributors’ generosity and scouts’ dedication and toil, according to Assistant Scout Master Malcolm Zellner.

The roof materials — about $10,000 — and windows — about $7,000 — among other gifts, were donated, Zellner said.

“Contributions from the scout leadership — the moms and dads — (paid for some material) and much of the material was donated,” he said.

Donations offset construction costs, Assistant Scout Master Stan Weise said.

“The Knights of Columbus had the building appraised at $60,000 and $3,000 to $3,500 was the money we actually had to come up with,” he said.

Weise said there will be a contributors’ plaque in the new facility.

“When people come in the building, they need to know who made it possible,” he said.

Weise also cited scouts’ labor as a money saver.

“We basically did the building ourselves between the boys and the fathers,” he said. “The boys scavenged material off the beach after Hurricane Katrina; we used old utility poles for the outside siding … they helped with insulating, carrying material and pulling wire.

“Within the troop one (father) is in construction, one is in carpentry and I’ve done some electrical and I built my own house.”

The boys — ages 11 to 16 — also got the opportunity to learn new masteries, he said.

“They … (were) limited in their skills. We (fathers) would talk to them; they got an idea of how a building went together,” he said.

The scouts had been using the Knights of Columbus Hall for their meetings and events, according to Maria Bertagnolli, daughter of former scout master Tommy Bertagnolli.

“The Knights of Columbus are a sponsor because the scouts can’t own anything; they’re a non-profit organization,” she said.

The assistant scout masters appreciate the Knights of Columbus for allowing several years’ use of the hall, though they agree the scouts needed “a place to call our own,” Zellner said.

Weise said the boys need to hang their awards and advancement board (which shows positions of each scout) — the only luxuries the Knights of Columbus Hall couldn’t accommodate.

“You couldn’t hang them in there because it was a multi-use building,” he said.

“It (the K. of C. hall) just never felt like a boy scout lodge,” he said.

Leaders wanted the place to be special so they let the scouts make some design decisions.

“Originally we were going to have a flat ceiling on the inside,” Weise said. “I suggested, ‘How about we open the ceiling up.’ It was an option. The boys liked the idea of decorating up there with banners and paddles and stuff.”

Weise said that children should have alternative pastimes to keep them interested in positive things.

“It gives the kids some place to go. It’s a safe place to hang out rather than them hanging out somewhere else,” he said.

“They’re just tickled to have their own space.”