THOMASVILLE — Like many before him, Aidan Hunt has spent his teenage years striving to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout, a prestigious honor that is valued by many as the mark of a good man. Arguably the most important part of a Boy Scout’s journey to Eagle is the Eagle Scout project. An intense exercise in planning, community service and team work that often involves manual labor and a considerable amount of time and effort.
Hunt’s project saw him spend a month preparing to build a bridge at Hands and Hearts for Horses, a group that provides equine therapy for local youth with both physical and mental disabilities.
Hunt spent time over the summer building several handicap ramps at people’s home who needed them, so when it came to building this bridge, he knew what he was doing. Hunt worked with a local carpenter for three days to build a 16 foot bridge on the Hands and Hearts for Horses property.
“It was 16 feet long and had a wedge piece connecting a prior ramp that was already there to the new ramp and keeping it on trail, but keeping enough room under the ramp so that water could flow to the natural creek that’s in the woods behind it,” he said.
The bridge is meant for both campers and horses, being strong enough to hold two lines of horses, campers and guides.
When asked why this was important, Hunt cited safety concerns for both the campers and the horses.
“That trail was becoming a safety hazard because campers could trip or the horses could trip because all the water would collect right there from the rain. So, the mud would get really thick and it was just a hazard for the horses and the campers.”
Now that his Eagle Scout project is complete, Hunt has achieved the goal he has worked so hard for. He is now an Eagle Scout and his currently deciding on a date for his Eagle Scout ceremony.