By Kathryne Rakowski

The road to becoming an Eagle Scout takes years of hard work, dedication, and the desire to make a lasting impact on the community around you.
One important step in this process is completing a project that will benefit a school, community or religious institution other than the scouts.
Kaden Lake, 16, an incoming junior at Liverpool High School, has just completed such a project and is excited to share it with the community.
Lake built six benches, three birdhouses and three tables for The Red Mill Manor, an independent senior living community located in Baldwinsville.
This project hits close to home for Lake, as his grandparents moved to Red Mill Manor last year from Florida to be closer to family.
Choosing to partake in this project was special to Lake.
“I chose it to benefit my grandparents who moved into the Red Mill over a year ago and the rest of the residents at the Red Mill,” he said.
“It will benefit the community by giving the residents a chance to be closer to the Baldwinsville community with benches closer to the sidewalks. I thought it would be nice for the residents to look at live nature while sitting on the benches.”
Lake has been a Scout for over 10 years and has loved the journey scouting has afforded him.
“In first grade, I started scouting as a Cub Scout and in sixth grade I crossed over to Boy Scouts where I have continued until now,” he said, sharing how boy scouts was in his blood.
“My dad got me started, as he was an Eagle Scout, and he always pushed me to be more and more dedicated.”
Lake is grateful for the encouragement of his father, and also his friends and adult leaders who pushed him along the way.
Finally completing his project is a huge milestone and something he’s been looking forward to for a long time. Completing his project brings him closer to his ultimate goal of becoming an Eagle Scout.
“It is one of the largest goals for any scout as soon as they start,” he said. “Becoming an Eagle Scout has been my goal since Cub Scouts in first grade.”
Lake had some previous building experience during service projects to help out other scouts.
It was a very time consuming process and took a lot of effort, but now that it’s completed, he hopes the residents are as excited about the project as he is to present it.
Although his grandfather has passed away since moving to Red Mill, Lake knows his grandmother and others will be impacted positively by the project for years to come.
One of the benches is dedicated in honor of his grandfather.
“I am most excited about giving the residents an open space to relax in and be outdoors while keeping them close to their home,” Lake said.