Op. Freedom Paws Eagle Project

My name is Brendan Martin, I am 14 years old, and I am a Boy Scout in Troop 234 in San Jose, California.  I am currently working on my Eagle Scout rank, and to earn it I need to run a project benefiting a non-profit or charitable organization.  But before I continue, I'll tell you a bit about me, and why I started to work towards this rank.  I joined Boy Scouts in February of 2012, and I still remember it vividly.  The cold wind, the bridge made out of rope, wood, and hard work, and the few steps I had to take to transition from a Cub Scout to a Boy Scout.  I walked across the bridge, recieved by smiling faces and new parts of my uniform that would signify my complete transition.

     That night, in the midst of it all, a dream unfolded inside my little head.  I dreamed of becoming an Eagle. I dreamed of getting the Eagle medal pinned on my uniform, and taking my place in the Eagle's Nest, where all Eagle Scouts sit during ceremonies.  I have dreamed of being like my grandfather, who was also an Eagle Scout and served as a fighter pilot in the Korean War.  

     But the road to Eagle is not easy.  First, I must complete my project.  My Eagle Project is benefiting a non-profit organization called Operation Freedom Paws, located in San Martin, California.  OFP is an organization that gives service dogs to U.S. military veterans.  Though this may not seem quite so extroardinary in itself, the amazing thing is that they give the dogs to the veterans for free.  Most service dogs can cost anywhere from ten to sixty thousand dollars, while OFP donates them.  Their only requirement is that the owner and the dog attend training sessions so that the two can bond.

     I will be helping OFP by installing two horseshoe pits, two trees, three benches, and two flower boxes around the perimeter of a currently useless feild.  This will give their clients a safe and beautiful place to relax, play with their dogs, have a barbeque, and genuenly enjoy themselves.

     I am planning to start physical work on May 21st, but that means that I will need to fundraise and meet my goal soon so that I can begin buying materials.

     Not a day goes by that I do not dream the dream that started on that cold February night.  The dream of earning my wings, and my place in the Eagle's Nest.  The dream one day becoming like my grandfather, and making him proud.  This is my last step towards making that dream a reality.  Any contributions you can make, whether small or large would mean the world to me, and would get that much closer to earning my wings.