Nick Jamieson's Eagle Scout project, the 5K Honor Run, gives boost to Oak Ridge Veterans Honor Green
The 5K Honor Run will be at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 15 at Oak Ridge Town Park.
The Town of Oak Ridge still has a few miles to go, as it were, before crossing its finish line in fundraising for the Veterans Honor Green.
Nick Jamieson, an Eagle candidate in Boy Scout Troop 600, is trying to inspire a push toward that goal.
The ninth-grade student is hosting the 5K Honor Run at Oak Ridge Town Park on Oct. 15 as his Eagle Scout project.
Oak Ridge has pledged to match donations, dollar for dollar, toward a goal of $200,000 to build the Honor Green. Fundraising is approaching $150,000.
"I wanted to base my Eagle project on helping and supporting veterans in my community," Jamieson says.
The Honor Green will be constructed in the proposed Heritage Farm Park, which in early 2022 received a $490,000 grant from the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources' Parks and Recreation Trust Fund Authority.
Oak Ridge's original goal of $150,000 needed to be increased because, well, the price of nearly everything is rising.
"It's not that the project has changed," says Oak Ridge town clerk Sandra Smith, "it's just that things have gone up."
The Honor Green will include columns to honor each branch of the service, plus walkways, flag poles and benches. Construction is expected to begin in spring 2023.
The 3.1-mile race, timed by GateCity Race Timing, is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Oct. 15. The entry fee is $25, although active military and veterans can enter for $20 and ages 14 and under can get in for $15. A 1-mile fun run is $10, and it's free for ages 14 and under. Runners and walkers are welcome; click here to learn more and to sign up.
Jamieson is three away from meeting the Eagle Scout criteria of earning 21 merit badges, including 14 that are part of a required list (Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Personal Fitness and Emergency Preparedness or Lifesaving are among them). Besides living by the Scout Oath and Scout Law and leading in the troop, a candidate also must complete a service project.
"Scouting has been an amazing experience for me," Jamieson says, "because it has taught me leadership in the community and how to serve others. I've also made great friends along my journey through scouting.
"We go on monthly outings where we do really cool stuff, like mountain biking, whitewater rafting, hiking, camping, cooking and lots more things. Being a patrol leader also has been a really good experience for me. I got to lead and help other kids in my group through cooking and camping on outings, as well as help teach younger scouts certain skills that they'll need in life."