Eagle project soars at Red Barn Youth Center

River Lance and Joey Cusick help A.J. Hollaway lift one of the picnic tables. Helper Xavier Scott is to the right. Photo courtesy Glen Ehrhardt

A.J. Hollaway is an Eagle Scout who soars to amazing heights. He joined Troop 220 a few years ago because he really wanted to become an Eagle Scout.

Hollaway watched the Red Barn slowly develop since he moved to the Key Peninsula nearly six years ago. He selected the Red Barn Youth Center for his Eagle project.

“Last summer at the Red Barn ‘SPLASH’ event, I learned they were in need of various items for the grand opening,” Hollaway said. “Picnic tables were on that list and that is where I thought about this project.”

He said he was excited to build something that would be helpful to the kids who would be attending the Red Barn.

Hollaway studied many patterns and styles of tables online before choosing a style.

“It is a very strong construction and I wanted something that would last a long time,” he said.

One of the challenges was building the legs so the tables would sit flat. The entire project took about a month to complete.

Hollaway’s father, Jeremy, was always nearby to supervise and supplied tools from his workshop.

Hollaway opted to burn checkerboards onto two tables, another challenge.

“The rain made things a little difficult when the tables were complete and we needed to stainthem,” he said.  “Overall, everything worked out well and I was very happy with the end results.”

Silverbow Farm donated wood grown and milled at the farm for the tables, adding another layer of uniqueness to the project.

“I think this makes it really special for the youth center,” Hollaway said.