KayLee Williams, an incoming Tumwater High School senior and Eagle Scout from Scouts BSA Troop 317, recently repaired the playground located at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church used by Rochester Preschool children in Rochester for her Eagle Scout project.
The six-month project, which prompted her to create or improve something that helps the community, culminated with two days of construction work July 24-25.
“I really wanted to make a playground because I love kids. I want to be a teacher. I’m a den chief, so I’m like a babysitter,” Williams said. “I love working with kids, seeing them smile and seeing them learn stuff. They’re a little silly. When I was thinking about my Eagle Scout project, I knew I wanted to do something that relates to kids, and what relates to kids more than a playground?”
Williams and her team of helpers arrived bright and early July 24 and removed the rotted wooden boards from the playground, sanded the equipment and repainted it to a new shade of green. They dug up rocks in order to replace the walls, and the next day, they added Trex flooring, finished painting and reattached the slides and swingset. Her team also built a new rock wall and rebuilt a play kitchen. Williams said a dozen people showed up the first day and 20 arrived on the final day to fix a playground that was in need of repair.
“The floorboards were the worst of everything. That was the main thing I wanted to change. They were in terrible shape,” she said. “There were holes in them. One of the stairs had been torn out. The paint had been repainted three times before I repainted it, but none of them actually sanded it.”
Williams joined Troop 373 in Centralia when she was 14 years old and has been a member of Troop 317 for the last three years. For the Eagle Scout project, she raised $500 and received donated supplies from a scoutmaster, friends and family. Overall, she said the team spent about $1,500 in cash on the project over the final two days.
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church used to be the host site for Troop 317’s meetings, and Williams said church staff were more than willing to allow her to repair the playground for her project, which she added has been well received by the community. To show their support, church staff put “Thank You Kaylee Troop 317” on the readerboard sign in front of the building.
“The new kids love it,” Williams said. “I got to talk to the teacher who was there for the previous play set and now this one, and she loves it. She says it’s a lot safer and better looking. Everyone has been really on board with the idea and very supportive.”
Over the last four years through being a member of a troop, Williams said she has learned about leadership, communication and teamwork.
“Before I joined scouts, I was very quiet and I hated talking to anyone. Scouts is such a happy, welcoming environment, and I was able to grow a lot in my own personal journey,” she said. “I’ve gotten a lot more confident in myself and my abilities. It’s taught me that I can do it.”
