A community service project coordinated by Boy Scouts Jared Kennedy and Tylor Wold has done more than bring them one step closer to the Eagle Scout award.
It has also provided Oconto Falls with 17 new trash and recycling bins that will help keep the city parks clean, they said.
“It will help people recycle, and it will keep a lot of trash and recycling from going to the landfills,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy, 14, designed the new bins for his final community service project to become eligible for the Eagle Scout badge, the highest rank in Scouting.
“I got the idea when I was at summer camp at Bear Paw, in Mountain,” Kennedy said. “They have those bins up there and when I saw them, I knew that’s what I wanted to do.”
Kennedy teamed up with Wold, 15, to tackle the project. They are both members of Troop 1024.
“They have always worked really well together,” said Brad Kennedy, Jared’s father.
After designing the bins, Kennedy and Wold sought and received permission from Oconto Falls Street Superintendent Terry Magnin to place the bins throughout the city.
“They had a real good idea of what they wanted to do,” Magnin said. “I think they did a super job. They were polite, they asked questions and did everything in the right order. I hope they have more projects for the city.”
Next, the Scouts had to gain the approval of their troop committee, the City Council and finally the Boy Scouts district coordinator.
With approval granted, fundraising became the next priority. Jared Kennedy said they went to many local businesses to find sponsors.
“They helped pay for the bins,” he said. “We did a lot of fundraising for this project.”
Brad Kennedy said local businesses also donated supplies for the project, including the PVC pipes and hinges that line the bins.
Wold and Jared Kennedy worked as project managers, assigning different roles to 12 helpers, including parents, volunteers and other Scouts, as they assembled the bins at Wold’s home.
The Scouts took on the responsibility of logging everyone’s hours and providing meals for the volunteers, Kennedy said.
On July 20, with construction complete, the Scouts placed the bins at different locations throughout Oconto Falls, including Main Street, Pleasantview Park, Memorial Field, the high school and both beaches.
“People were thanking them when they were putting them up and they didn’t even know exactly what (Jared and Tylor) were doing yet,” Brad Kennedy said.
“I have liked how much people actually enjoy the fact that the bins are out here,” Jared Kennedy said.
“There will be a reduction in pollution because of them,” Wold said.
Kennedy and Wold logged more than 400 community service hours since the project began in May.
The bins, which have compartments for aluminum, plastic and trash, cost $200 per unit. Plaques will be placed on each bin in recognition of the sponsors.
The bins will be a permanent part of the parks but will be moved inside during the winter months to help them last longer.
For Kennedy and Wold, the project has brought them within reach of becoming Eagle Scouts.
“I told my dad when I first started I was going to make Eagle Scout,” Kennedy said. “To me, it’s been a long trial of being in Scouts and doing fun activities, but it’s coming to an end.”
Categories
