Youth-in-Action Star: Jake Nelson

Youth-in-Action Star: Jake Nelson

Age: 18

Hometown: Sylvania, OH

Giving Achievement: As part of earning his Eagle rank, the highest achievement in Boy Scouts, Jake planned, managed and built 24 benches and four picnic tables for North Star Reach. An ambitious community service project even by demanding Boy Scout standards, Jake and his supporters logged in more than 240 hours to complete his project.

Jake knew for years that he wanted to give back to a place that had enabled him to attend a camp for kids just like him. When he was a patient in 2007 at University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital undergoing treatment for a heart condition known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, he and his family first heard about North Star Reach. Even though camp in Pinckney wasn’t built, Jake was invited to attend another camp within SeriousFun Children’s Network (SFCN), Victory Junction in North Carolina. His plane fare, the week at camp, food and lodging—all costs were covered by North Star Reach as part of a program called “Camp on the Move.” Still, leaving home for a week wasn’t an easy decision. “I was pretty intimated,” he says. “I had to be convinced to go.”

He loved camp so much he went back five more years, until he no longer met the age requirements for campers. “It was life changing,” says his mom.

“I know a lot of people say camp is a magical experience, but it truly is,” says Jake. “Being away from home, making new friends, creating memories that will last forever. It just feels like a second home.”

Late last summer, Jake delivered his gift to camp. Driving up from Toledo, his parents rented a 12-foot trailer to transport the benches and tables, which will be used in many activity areas, including the arts and craft building, waterfront, and archery. “It was a long time in the making,” says Jake, who hopes to return to camp as a program volunteer when he’s 19. “I’m just glad I could give back.”

Giving Lesson Learned:  Jake kicked off his project a year ago by fundraising to cover the costs for supplies, including wood, paint and screws. Once the project was underway, he modified an existing design, maintained cost reports, and successfully recruited dozen of family members, friends, neighbors and scouts to help build the tables and benches. “I was surprised how it felt to take on a project that’s all on you,” he says. “Every question, every design decision, it’s always you. It’s very challenging to stay organized and keep calm throughout everything….It was very cool when we dropped them off. I got to look around and see camp for the first time. It was really rewarding to see where they would go.”