CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS — Two students at Annapolis Christian Academy are doing community volunteer work in order to reach their goal of becoming Eagle Scouts with the Boy Scouts of America.
Brothers Ian and Cameron Mills are incredible. Ian has logged over 200-service hours working at the First Baptist Church. Cameron enhanced the playground here at Annapolis Christian Academy.
Both are working to become Eagle Scouts, and when that happens, Cameron would be among the youngest in Texas.
15-year-old Ian Mills began working on the First Baptist Church pantry months ago. He says he was inspired to help when he noticed the shelves needed to be renovated.
"I finished my eagle project which was building, redoing all the shelving inside of the pantry at First Baptist Church,” said 10th grader Ian Mills.
Ian says it was a challenge. He had to raise money by asking for donations and figure out the logistics.
"It was also much harder because there was a pandemic happening. And I finished it in the middle of a pandemic. And getting the donations and getting a team together to help me do this was kind of difficult but if you put your mind to it you can get it done,” said Ian.
Following in his big brother's footsteps, 13-year-old Cameron decided for his project he would construct a gaga ball pit to enhance the playground at Annapolis Christian Academy.
"It's pretty much dodge ball except the ball rolls on the ground and you try to hit other people's knee and below. Once they do that they jump out of the pit and the last one standing wins,” said 8th grader Cameron Mills.
Cameron says his service project was a little easier, but it was still a lot of hard work.
"I started raising money, and once I had enough money, I bought all the wood the hardware, the tools and me, and a couple (of) friends built it and we assembled it here at the school,” said Cameron.
The brothers are members of the Boy Scout Troop 11 at The First Baptist Church.
In order to become an eagle scout, which is the highest achievement or rank attainable in the Boy Scouts of America program, they have to complete service projects, among other things, and it's making a difference.
"We do feel like community involvement, serving, serving others, serving your neighbor, helps in understanding that the world is bigger than yourself,” said Head of Annapolis Christian Academy Travis Lockyer.
"Whenever you are volunteering you are helping not just yourself, it's very humbling and you are helping others out while you are doing it,” said Ian.
"I just get really happy, that I built something that other people like and it was all just out of volunteer,” said Cameron
The Mills brothers are expected to become Eagle Scouts by mid-September.
