Hempstead Town Honors Garden City Scouts at Levy Park

An air of dignity, service and honor circulated above the campfire at Levy Park and Preserve in Merrick on Saturday morning.

Beside it stood Hempstead Town supervisor Kate Murray, who recognized the Boy and Girl Scouts who reached the highest plateaus of their proud organizations – the rank of Eagle Scout and the Gold Award.

Among the scouts honored from Garden City: Garden City Gold Award recipients Cara Martina, Alexandra Vernice and Carley Phelan and Garden City Eagle Scouts Alexander Wonich, Aaron Miner, Paul Amato and Alfred Russo.

The commitment and spirit of these fine young men and women were celebrated in a special ceremony held in their honor. Each honoree was presented with a Hempstead Town citation and a special patch to commemorate the celebration.

“Scouting builds character and molds young men and women into society’s key contributors and leaders,” Murray said. “In the words of scouting icon Theodore Roosevelt, ‘Character, in the long run, is the decisive factor in the life of an individual and of nations alike.’ We are proud to honor Hempstead Town’s Eagle Scout and Gold Award recipients.”

Supervisor Murray honored the Scouts along with Councilmembers Ed Ambrosino, Angie Cullin, James Darcy, Dorothy Goosby, Gary Hudes and Anthony Santino, as well as Receiver of Taxes Don Clavin and Town Clerk Mark Bonilla. Guests of honor included representatives from the Girl Scouts of Nassau County, CEO Donna Ceravolo and president and chief volunteer officer Diane McFarlane and Theodore Roosevelt Council of the Boys Scouts of America executive director David Richardson.

Eagle Scout James Egan, of East Meadow, addressed the audience. He spoke about his experiences as a Boy Scout and the path to achieving the highest rank a Scout can attain. Egan focused his project on educating children on how to be environmentally sound. The centerpiece of his project was a video production that included appearances by Supervisor Murray and Councilman Hudes.

“As evidenced with the efforts of James and all of the Eagle Scout and Gold Award recipients in attendance today,” Murray said, “The hard work translated into meaningful results that truly make a difference.”