Their projects were a Gaga ball pit and prayer garden
They may be twins, but the Boy Scouts’ Eagle projects Gavin and Nicholas Kushner put together to serve the community were far from identical: a Gaga ball pit and a prayer garden.
The Williamstown brothers – juniors at St. Augustine Prep in Richland – are part of Sewell’s Boy Scout Troop 57 and earned the Eagle Scout rank on March 26. They both answered questions from The Sun about the projects that got them there.
Nicholas made a Gaga ball pit at Oak Knoll Elementary School in Williamstown.
What is Gaga ball?
Gaga ball is a form of the dodgeball game played in an octagon with a ball. Players try to direct the ball at each other and anyone hit from the knee or below is out.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL KUSHNER
PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL KUSHNER
PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL KUSHNER
PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL KUSHNER
How did you come up with your Eagle Scout project?
I came up with the idea after playing Gaga at camp for a couple years, and I thought Oak Knoll would be the perfect place for kids to learn a new game.
Once the school board approved it, I had to do fundraising through the school, which was a success. I raised more than enough money in one week to complete the project.
Build day and outcome
It was a hot day during build day and there were some dehydration issues. Despite those obstacles, the build went smoothly.
Gavin Kushner’s project was a St. John Paul II prayer garden at the Church of the Holy Family in Sewell.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL KUSHNER
How did you come up with your Eagle Scout project?
The church was about to start fundraising to build it, then I proposed the idea that I could do it for my Eagle Scout project and they loved the idea.
We had to raise funds and find someone to help us dig out the ground and lay the pavers. We found someone who ordered the pavers for us and delivered them for free.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL KUSHNER
PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL KUSHNER
PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL KUSHNER
The build and outcome
The biggest challenge I ran into was COVID. We had proposed the project in 2019, and were planning on starting it in March 2020, but then COVID hit and we had to delay for a while.
