Travis Coleman’s Eagle Scout Project to Make a Positive Impact

On Sunday, February 26, Travis Coleman of Pine Bush, NY, gifted 14 tables to the Town of Warwick to complement the Warwick Lions Club Community Pavilion in the Wickham Woodlands Park off of Kings Highway.

In September, Coleman approached the Warwick Town Board, with then Town Supervisor Michael Sweeton at the helm.  He offered to build eight picnic tables as part of his proposed Eagle Scout Project.  The Town Board unanimously approved the project and with a “beneficiary” on board, Coleman worked his way through the myriad of approvals and paperwork required in order to commence fundraising.  Travis knew that fundraising would be easy.  His strategy was to send letters describing the project to organizations throughout the town and some of his family and friends as well.  His letter offered the ability to sponsor a table for $250 and have your name or the name of a loved one inscribed on a plaque.  What Travis did not know was that his potential donors would be generous.  Generous enough to sponsor 14 tables, two of which are handicapped accessible at the advice of the Eagle review board.  When more donors wanted in, Travis asked them not to sponsor any more tables, but instead send a donation for food so he could feed the volunteers who would be helping him make the tables.  Over a period of three days, Travis and his volunteers put in over 200 man-hours at the Walker Valley Sportsmen’s Association’s garage to see the project to completion.  And on Sunday morning, February 26th, Town Supervisor Jesse Dwyer met Travis and his team on site to accept the tables.  Dwyer was pleased, thanking Travis for his hard work and said that the tables will be a great asset to the community.

Travis is a scout in Troop 37 in Pine Bush.  When he was originally looking for a project, his Aunt Melissa Stevens, who currently serves as President of the Warwick Fire Department, told him that the town was looking for tables for the Lions Club’s new pavilion in the park.  Although Travis resides in Pine Bush, his family has deep roots in the Warwick community on both his mother and father’s side.  Travis is very proud of his project, even though he admits that he got a little nervous when the checks kept coming in.  But by the end of the construction, he said that it wasn’t that bad when you have a good system and lots of good people to help.  And speaking of help, since the project grew so large, the original plan to make a few trips with a trailer to deliver the tables was no longer an option.  Travis’ Uncle Mike Coleman reached out to Kevin Shuback of Shuback Sod Farms who didn’t hesitate to donate a truck to bring the tables to the park so it could be done in one 35-mile trip.  “It made me really proud to see how a community comes together”, said Coleman.   

Travis wants to thank the following for donating funds to complete the 14 tables: Lions Club of Warwick, George & Kathy McManus, Raymond Hose Company, Fine Kitchens and Baths by John Welch, Werners, TS Purta Funeral Home, Warwick Fire Department, Catherine Stevens, Daniel Harter, Jr., Lori and Mark Mosher, Middletown Downtown, Inc., Engine Company No 3, Tom & Bonnie Coleman, Florida Fire Department, and Jim Rohner.