About Dawson County news. (Dawsonville, Georgia) 2015-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 12, 2022)
Wednesday, January 12,2022 dawsonnews.com I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I 3B FROM 1B Scouts candidates, Friends of Lake Lanier has been able to install these sta tions at several of the USACE parks in the area. Most recently, two of Dawson County’s own Eagle Scout candidates, Dale Padgett and Nathan Muncy from Troop 109 out of Bethel United Methodist Church, part nered together with Friends of Lake Lanier to build several of these sta tions. “Each Boy Scout as part of an eagle project has to do two Life Jacket Loaner Stations,” Baker said. “We give them the blueprints and a sheet saying who’s responsible for what; to make it hap pen they need to get the specs and the materials listed and figure out how to build it.” Padgett completed sta tions at Van Pugh and Burton Mill Day Use Parks on Lake Lanier, and Muncy completed sta tions at Keith Bridge and Longhollow Day Use Parks on Lake Lanier. Each scout spent about 82 hours on the project and had about 10 volunteers assisting them. According to Baker, the USACE helps with drill ing the holes for the posts, and Friends of Lake Lanier helps with the first $200 of the proj ect’s funding. The scouts are responsible for raising the rest of the funding needed to build the sta tions, which Baker said is a huge help for Friends of Lake Lanier. “What those Eagle Scouts do is huge because the total cost of a single LLS is about $800,” Baker said. "We will help them with $200 of that $800 and then they have to look for funding to fund the rest.” LIFE JACKET LOANER STATIONS ' KIPS P.ONViy FLOATS foL S LIFEJACKETS, P.O; HOW TO PROPERLY I f I rd Swim at Sisk lowed Beyond fx / lv _ £3/ i/ m 1 Photos courtesy of Connie Howell (left to right) Dawson County Eagle Scout candidates Dale Padgett and Nathan Muncy stand with Ranger Ernest Noe in front of one of their recently completed Life Jacket Loaner Stations. Padgett and Muncy worked together with non profit organization Friends of Lake Lanier to build two new Life Jacket Loaner Stations each as part of their Eagle Scout projects. The labor that the scouts put into the project also saves a lot of money for Friends of Lake Lanier, Baker said. “It would be a much more costly project if it involved professionals,” Baker said. “It would be much more expensive than $800 per station.” Friends of Lake Lanier collects donated life jack ets to refill the Life Jacket Loaner Stations, which need between 250 and 300 each year. Baker added that the stations are used by dozens of people in the parks each year, making them a very use ful project for the organi zation and Eagle Scout candidates to pour their resources into. “It is amazing how many people actually use those life jackets,” Baker said. “It’s a view to walk out and see how many are actually being used by folks.” In addition to the instal lation of Life Jacket Loaner stations with the help of scouts like Muncy and Padgett, Friends of Lake Lanier works to col lect funding to install soap dispensers at USACE campgrounds, pollinator gardens at the parks, contactless pay ment options with QR codes and cash boxes at the campgrounds, volun teer uniforms for those working in the day use parks and around the lake, ranger shirts and drink machines in the day use parks. The organization sells firewood, ice and laundry services in the USACE campgrounds to help raise funds to run their projects, and collects donations from people in the community who want to help out monetarily. According to Baker, Friends of Lake Lanier is run completely by volun teers and is therefore always in need of new volunteers to help out. Volunteering opportuni ties include supporting the organization’s proj ects, supporting opera tions in ways like collect ing lifejackets and work ing on signage, graphic and technical support and fundraising. Baker said that volunteering only takes about three to five hours a week. For more information about Friends of Lake Lanier and how to support their mission in the com munity, go to the organiza- tion’s website at FriendsofLakeLanier.org, visit their Facebook page at https ://www.facebook.com/ friendsoflakelanier or email FriendsofLakeLanier@ gmail.com.
