Front Page News
IT IS COMPLETE!!
What an overwhelming range of emotions this brings...relief, happiness, pride, gratitude...
Excavation began on October 10, 2024 and in a little over 8 weeks, the project was completed. I am so fortunate that so many people helped me get to this point in a relatively short amount of time. The project was approved by the Scout Council at the end of May and within six months, the project was fully funded and constructed. That is just unbelievable to me. As I always say, "I didn't do it alone."
I had a big idea and the community rallied around me!
I MADE THE FRONT PAGE NEWS!!!
I am excited there is enough interest in this project to spotlight Scouting, all of the good that Colonial Early Learning Center does for the community, that determined teens can accomplish more than many people imagined, and an Autism diagnosis does not mean we cannot strive for success in all we do.
I completed all border installs and a portion of the sensory walkway on Sunday, 11/5/24. I still have a lot of work to do, but with Election Day off of school, I plan on spending another work day there and working more on the sensory walkways.
The PLayset is IN!
The Playset is completely installed as of this evening 10/29/24. We are ready for the next step - installing 6" of rubber mulch.
The playset looks easy to install, but there was a boulder issue, requiring an electric jack hammer and a pipe that required grinding. We had to haul the generator onsite twice! I am thankful a leader in my Troop had an electric jackhammer and skills to remove the boulder impeding the plastic border install.
The location of the playset also required underground drainage to be installed. We were lucky that A.J. Trunzo was able to take care of laying the drainage pipe, stone placement, and adding drainage down the slope of the hill. It was a lot of work that was taken off of our plate!
BINGO Fundraiser
On September 28th, the BINGO Fundraiser hosted by Every Ribbon Counts raised over $1,200 for my Eagle Scout Project.
LEtter From the senator
I received a letter from Pennsylvania Senator, Lisa Boscola saying that she saw my article in the news and she included a letter of encouragement.
CAPITAL BLUE GRANT
The $2,500 Capital Blue Grant was the largest single grant that I was awarded toward completing the project at Colonial IU 20 Early Learning Center (CELC). The grant information was brought to me by Gregg Potter and thankfully, Dr. Christopher Wolfel, the Executive Director at Colonial IU 20 was able to complete the necessary info just under the deadline to be considered. One recipient is selected for the Live Healthy School Grant and I was notified in June 2024 that my project was selected!! I was thrilled and grateful, as the bump in funds really made the high cost of this project, seem within reach! The funds were awarded in Septemeber 2024, just as I was really getting started with purchasing big ticket items. Perfect timing.
Another story Featured by Lehigh Valley News
Greatest Volunteer impact
An amazing group of guys from the local Union of Operating Engineers, Local 542 volunteered TWO DAYS of their time to get the excavating complete.
The site is perfect!
A great big THANK YOU to Jim Irwin, Lehigh Valley Labor Council President and Rob Fulmer for organizing the labor efforts.
it's go time
The excavation started on a chilly morning 10/9/24 and completed on an even colder morning 10/10/24. A lot of care was taken to ensure that the completed excavation met all of the BASD Engineers requirements, but also that the dirt was hauled off site, and the grassy areas were not trampled or damaged.
site is complete & the pipe is gone
The site is ready for the sensory walkway, the drainage under systems, the borders, the rubber mulch, and individual play features to be installed. There is still a lot to do, but the completion of the site prep is a huge, almost unmanageable weight has been lifted from my shoulders, as it was impeding all progress.
Interview with Lehigh Valley News
I had an interview with Mr. Phil Gianficaro of Lehigh Valley News. He seemed genuinely interested in my story and why I chose Colonial IU20's Early Intervention Program as the beneficiary for my Eagle Scout Project. I am eager to see the article and share it with everyone!
REady for the Excavator
I went to the site to stake out the play areas and sensory walkways that are to be excavated. I am hopeful that the site prep will begin soon!
Paint DAY
Troop 76 and their families came to my home to paint the wood for the train feature.
WORK DAY
As I am prepping to build the wooden train feature, my neighborhood friends saw me & my family working and they all came to lend a hand. I am fortunate to have friends that rally behind me!!
