Walking through Old Trolley Line Park in Mount Joy Township, Brendan Heisey noticed something was missing, so the rising senior at Elizabethtown Area High School took action. He built four benches with bases placed in various locations throughout the park, earning his Eagle award in the process.

"I was introduced to the Old Trolley Line Park when I was helping with the Eagle Scout project of my brother, Chad Heisey," Brendan said. "I saw that the park was still very new and didn't have any sort of place to sit. It was here that I decided that benches would be a good fit."

Brendan, the son of Anthony and Sandy Heisey, is a member of Troop 117, Elizabethtown, chartered by the United Church of Christ. He completed his Eagle project in December 2020 and was awarded his badge at a Court of Honor in June at Conoy Brethren in Christ Church. To reach the rank of Eagle, a Boy Scout must earn 21 merit badges, demonstrate leadership and serve the community through coordination and completion of an Eagle project.

Participating in Boy Scouts has brought opportunities to try new activities and attend summer camp, Brendan said, noting that he wanted to earn his Eagle to hone lifelong leadership skills. "Looking at other older Eagle Scouts, I could see that the values they learned had stuck with them," he stated.

He added that his project was physically demanding but rewarding. "I would say the hardest part was the transportation of materials from one bench site to the other," he stated. "The benches were spread over the entire walking path, so many loads of dirt and stone had to be brought from the larger pile to the separate areas." Thankfully, he wasn't alone in the work. "Eagle projects are not done by just one person," he remarked. "Scouts, friends and family members all came to my project to help in the construction. I would like to thank them for taking time to support me."

In addition to Boy Scouts, Brendan is active in the band and orchestra at school and enjoys reading and playing drums outside of school. He plans to attend college to study chemistry.

Brendan encourages other Boy Scouts to go for the Eagle. "I would tell them that, despite the work they may have to put into it, they will not be disappointed with the results," he said. "There will always be fellow Scouts and other Eagle Scouts that are willing to give guidance."