For two Scouts, projects a test of resiliency

Two East Meadow Boy Scouts recently achieved the highest rank in scouting by completing projects that not only showcased their passion for giving back, but will make a real difference in their communities.

Zachary Ludewig, 18, and Chris Egan, 17, both East Meadow High seniors and members of Troop 362, earned their Eagle Scout rank in December, but were formally honored in a ceremony at the East Meadow Fire Department headquarters last Saturday.

It took several months of hard work for both students, who chose projects that were meaningful to them in different ways. Ludewig decided to combine two of his biggest passions: fire service and scouting.

Egan, meanwhile, built greenhouses for the nonprofit organization Island Harvest to help increase its food production output.

Ludewig partnered with the Nassau County Firefighters Museum and Education Center in Garden City to create an instructional fire safety video aimed at children. The five-minute video details essential life-saving procedures during a house fire in a simplified, understandable way. “It’s a combination of two things that have been big in my life for a long time,” said Ludewig, whose family includes three generations of volunteer firefighters.

The video took more than a year to create, he said, adding that he had no significant experience in film. It is his hope that the video will be shown regularly at the museum. But the greatest reward, he said, was earning his Eagle Scout rank. “It was like nothing else,” he said. “It’s a one-of-a-kind feeling.” In the fall, Ludewig said, he will study emergency management at Nassau Community College.

Egan originally planned to begin his project in the spring of 2014 by helping to renovate the headquarters of a pet rescue organization. But due to time constraints, he had to find a new project. “I was very upset about this,” Egan said, “but I didn’t give up.”

He coordinated with Randi Shubin Dresner, the president of Island Harvest and an East Meadow resident, to build greenhouses for the organization’s vegetable garden at its Hauppauge office.

Island Harvest is Long Island’s largest hunger relief organization. Shubin Dresner said the garden is a new addition, and last season it produced 4,000 pounds of vegetables. With Egan’s greenhouses, Island Harvest may be able to double that number.

To make the greenhouses, Egan said he built frames out of carport structures, then attached wood to the frames using heavy-duty hose clamps. The final step, he said, was to cover them in a clear plastic sheeting to allow sunlight to pass through.

In the fall, Egan intends to study music technology and recording at SUNY Fredonia. “Chris was just so fabulous to want to do a project for us,” Shubin Dresner said. “And he’s a great kid. I’m glad that we were able to work with him.”