Tristan Mikelas of Richland has been building things since he was 3.
Now 11, he celebrated making his 100th Kids Workshop project on June 7 at Home Depot along William Flinn Highway in Hampton.
Every Home Depot location offers a free workshop once a month where children of all ages can come to the store and build a wooden project or toy to take home.
“We were just shopping here one day, and I saw a sign for the Kids Workshop, so I decided to bring Tristan. He loved it. So, we just continued to come,” said his mother, Tonya Mikelas.
Tristan’s first build was on Aug. 5, 2017, when he completed a small yellow wooden Penske truck. He completed four more projects that year — and then never missed one from 2018 through June 2025.
“He even did the projects during covid,” Mikelas said. “We would either bring them home or friends would send them to us.”
Home Depot not only offers the free projects, but they also provide milestone pins to kids who accomplish 25, 50, 75 and 100 completed projects.
“I kept a spreadsheet of all of the projects, just hoping that he could one day reach one hundred,” Mikelas said.
For the Mikelas family, it wasn’t about the little toys or the time they spent building the projects. It was about teaching Tristan how to set goals, persevere and stick with things — skills he would need when the worst-case scenario happened on June 23, 2024.
“Tristan was life-flighted on that day nearly one year ago. It was then that he was diagnosed with brain cancer,” said his father, Michael Mikelas.
Tristan underwent emergency surgery the day he was life-flighted. He currently is part of a clinical trial, and the family is hopeful it will help. They appreciate the prayers and support as Tristan continues his fight.
Through it all, two Home Depot employees, Denise Giesy of West Deer and Richard Glenbers of Highland Park, have become like family to Tristan and his parents. Giesy and Glenbers serve as the team workshop captains at the store.
“We’ve known Tristan since he was 3 years old. It’s been great to see him grow up. It’s just crazy because he is on his 100th project, and there is a little kid over there who is only on his first,” Giesy said.
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On June 7, Tristan received his milestone pin for 100 projects. With it came a few surprises.
Edward Decker, the CEO of Home Depot, signed a youth-sized company apron for Tristan and had it sent to the Hampton store. Tristan also received a toolbox loaded with candy and tools.
The toolbox was displayed on a table where Tristan completed his 100th project — a wooden baseball game. His first project, the Penske truck, was displayed there as well.
A nearby sign marked the accomplishment and a celebratory cake was served.
The Home Depot workshops have been something the family looks forward to each month, especially through all the recent turbulence that cancer brings.
“Last June, our lives were turned completely upside down with the news that Tristan had brain cancer, so this is more just about showing him that perseverance is important and that he can do anything he puts his mind to,” Michael Mikelas said.
Tristan said he felt a huge sense of accomplishment after finishing his 100th project.
But now, heading into sixth grade at Holy Sepulcher Catholic School in Butler, Tristan said he probably is going to slow down on the projects — and maybe only do the special ones.
“I think I’ll definitely do all the holiday projects. Those were always really cool,” Tristan said.