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Habitat for Humanity house built in honor of David Shannon

Hugh Shannon speaks at the Brothers for David house dedication on Saturday afternoon.  

https://www.facebook.com/hugh.shannon
Hugh Shannon speaks at the Brothers for David house dedication on Saturday afternoon. https://www.facebook.com/hugh.shannon

It took the students about four months to build the house, and only five minutes to come to tears during the dedication.

More than 100 fraternity brothers gathered Saturday to dedicate a Habitat for Humanity home to the family of Banyanwe Mehn. The home was built as part of a blitz-build initiative by Brothers for David, a partnership of seven fraternities formed in memory of David Shannon.

The annual blitz-build project for fraternity pledges began four years ago after Delta Kappa Epsilon president Courtland Smith was shot to death by police in 2009. His fraternity organized a Habitat for Humanity build in his memory.

Shannon was a UNC freshman and a pledge in the Chi Phi fraternity when he died after falling 40 feet from machinery at Carrboro’s Ready Mixed Concrete Plant in October.

“He was a super super guy,” said David’s grandfather Charles Clapp. “He had a world of potential. That’s the sad part — he wasn’t able to fill his potential.”

Hugh Shannon, David’s father, was also in attendance Sunday.

“It’s a wonderful thing that such a wonderful family can have a house in honor of David,” he said in a speech to the crowd.

Everett Young , who chaired the project last year, said more than 300 fraternity members from seven different chapters worked on the houses. He said the fraternities raised more than $50,000 to build the home.

Young said in his time with Chi Phi, Shannon raised the most money for the blitz-build in the fraternity.

Felipe Villahoz , a co-chair of the project, worked over the summer and throughout the year on the project. He said many freshmen pledges were involved in the project this fall.

“They know the story, the tragedy from last year and understand philanthropy is a huge part of the Greek system,” Villahaz said. “He was a great kid. Everybody’s extremely eager and willing to help with the project.”

Carrboro Police Lt. Anthony Westbrook, the former lead investigator on Shannon’s case, also attended the dedication ceremony Saturday. He said Shannon’s case hasn’t gone cold, but investigators have not uncovered any new information and there are still holes in the timeline of Shannon’s last night.

“The timeline stopped,” he said. “And filling in that gap is where we are at.”

Hugh said he wanted the fraternity members to continue the Habitat for Humanity project, but said he hoped future builds won’t be dedicated to students who have died.

“I ask you guys to work hard and make sure that all these years going forward this continues on,” Hugh said. “Not things like Brothers for Courtland Smith and not Brothers for David. Be safe out there guys, okay?”

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