Published: June 29, 2009 08:10 am      

Scout plans to give donated items to needy

OWENSBORO — Cole Wedding’s Eagle Scout project is no small undertaking.

The 15-year-old Boy Scout, a sophomore-to-be at Daviess County High School, intends to take donated medical equipment — such as wheelchairs, walkers and canes — from seven counties, refurbish and clean them, then distribute them to people in need.

“I thought that during these troubled times, the elderly might need a break from having to buy everything,” Wedding said. “If we could save them expenses on that or other medical equipment, that would help out.”

Scouts must complete a community service project before being awarded the rank of Eagle Scout.

Wedding spoke with various groups on aging in Owensboro to get their OK and met with hearty approval. It also won approval from St. Pius Boy Scout Troop 120 scoutmaster Bill Wedding, Cole’s uncle.

Cole arrived at the idea with the help of his mother, Glenda, who worked with the aged at Green River Area Development District.

Jim Wedding, Cole’s father and the Troop 120 committee chairman, said the project was worthwhile and something that could benefit the community.

“We’re hoping to have a pretty good volume of equipment donated,” Jim Wedding said. “Some of it may not be repairable, but we’ll get some help with repair equipment from Poole’s Pharmacy.”

The Eagle Scout project is intended to bring out the leadership skills of a Boy Scout, and not something that falls entirely on his shoulders. The Scout displays leadership qualities in the project’s planning, execution and completion, although he will apply some elbow grease, too.

Cole contacted Scout troops in surrounding counties to enlist their help in collecting donated items and storing them at senior centers for pickup until July 10.

Cole, his brothers Austin and Jacob — who are also in Troop 120 — and other fellow Scouts will pick up the equipment and take it to the Wedding home where they will fix and clean.

The equipment will then be sent back to the county senior centers for redistribution.

“It depends on what kind of condition the equipment is in when we get it,” Cole said. “We’ll do the best we can.”

He’s already had one fundraiser, collecting $75 for the cost of repair materials. He expects to have at least one more fundraiser and may wind up asking for donations to reach about $600, figuring that some repairs could get pricey.

“If it’s something motorized, we’ll have some adult leaders evaluate it,” Jim Wedding said. “We’re not just going to turn the kids loose on it. It’ll be supervised.”

“We are very proud of Cole’s innovative plan to help area senior citizens,” said Jiten Shah, executive director at GRADD. “It is immensely gratifying to see a young person take an interest in improving the quality of life of individuals who are often our communities’ ’forgotten residents.’

“This project vividly demonstrates the best attribute of the Green River region, our spirit of caring for our neighbors. Also, with the ongoing economic recession, the timing of this project could not be better. We hope that dozens of low-income seniors across the region will obtain vital medical equipment as a result of Cole’s initiative.”