First Responders Of Mahaska County To Be Recognized With Monument
Members of the VFW Auxiliary presented Gareth Stefanc a $200 donation on Friday afternoon. The donation will go towards the First Responders memorial.
Oskaloosa, Iowa – Gareth Stefanc is a 16-year-old member of the Boy Scouts of America Troop 71, and he’s on a mission to honor the first responders of Mahaska County.
The project will be a monument to the sacrifices and dedication to the public made by those in emergency services.
Stefanc is hoping to achieve his rank of Eagle Scout, and this project will be a part of that process. Honoring the service by others is something he wanted to do.
Eagle Scout is one of the highest ranks attainable in the Boy Scouts of America. Attaining that rank can help launch a young person to attaining more goals later in life.
Examples include starting your military career in the Army as a Private Second Class or an E-2 versus just a Private E-1.
Many college admissions officers recognize the award. Employers look for Eagle Scout on resumes and those individuals often times have the traits they are looking for.
Approximately only 5% of Scouts attain the rank of Eagle Scout.
The project started as “In Memory of Mahaska County First Responders. Then we changed the In Honor since no one has died,” explained Stefanc.
There will be a fundraiser dinner for the memorial on May 12th, Mother’s Day, at St. Mary’s Parish Center. “We are making up for that with deserts,” Stefanc joked.
Engraved bricks can also be bought to help fund the project.
Stefanc says he’s been planning this memorial since August of 2018.
The inspiration for Stefanc to bring such a memorial to life is his uncle who is a retired Iowa State Patrol Officer.
The original plan was to get AED’s for police officers, but local law enforcement already has that equipment in their cars.
Stefanc’s uncle then proposed a first responders memorial, and Stefanc agreed that was a good idea.
You can find out more, and keep up to date with everything happening in regards to the memorial, by following Stefanc’s Facebook Page “Mahaska County First Responders Monument”.
