Ocean City High School senior builds small boardwalk libraries
OCEAN CITY — “Being community-minded and helping people seems to be his guiding force,” Susan Walsh said of her son, Aiden, who recently earned the rank of Eagle Scout with Boy Scout Troop 32.
The senior at Ocean City High School, who is on the soccer, wrestling and lacrosse teams and also enjoys baseball and street hockey, organized a project to create four little libraries to be placed along the boardwalk at Second, Ninth and 15th streets as well as at the beach entrance at 34th Street. He said it took about two months from idea to execution and involved getting permission from the city.
“The biggest part was getting the materials and volunteers together,” he said. “The City Hall process was relatively easy.”
Part of the project requires soliciting local businesses for assistance, and Susan Walsh said each of the two Sherwin Williams stores in the city, Home Depot, 84 Lumber and the Hornick family donated supplies. Aiden also collected money for the project through a GoFundMe page.
“You have to lead people to do the project, not just do it on your own,” the proud mother said. “He got his friends, troopmates and family to help.”
Aiden, who works at the Promenade food court on the boardwalk in the summer, said he noticed “older couples always looking for a book or something to read.” He said he saw a little library at North Street “and thought if we were able to put a library at major boardwalk locations, the need would be fulfilled.”
Does he like to read?
“It’s not one of my hobbies but I can get lost in a good book,” he said.
Aiden went to the city and got the project approved, then designed the containers, collected the materials and solicited help to build them.
Three of the four were designed to be attached to the boardwalk railing and the fourth to be planted in the sand. After completing the work, Aidan said he was told they all must be planted in the sand. He currently is working with the Department of Public Works to have them installed, noting it should be done in the next month or so.
Susan Walsh, who works for P.F. Changs, said she and her husband, who is operations manager for Spirt Halloween, are community-minded but that their son “has led the charge” on volunteerism.
“We’re super proud of all he has done with the Scouts, not just this project but his dedication to community,” she said, noting her son recently conducted a food drive for the Greater Tuckerton Food Pantry in Little Egg Harbor Township during which he collected 135 bags of food. He also has participated in the Challenger Sports program in Upper Township and planted seagrass in Long Beach Island.
The Eagle Scout has been playing sports and participating in Scouting since he was 6 years old. His mother said she and her husband, Marc Walsh, introduced their son to it as a complement to his sports interests.
“Everything was sports and we wanted him to be well-rounded,” she said.
Aiden said his favorite part of Scouting is “hanging with the boys in the troop.”
“It’s a bunch of bonding that makes me enjoy the time I’m there,” he said, noting the trip to Annapolis, Md., and tour of the U.S. Naval Academy was among his favorites.
He currently is looking at colleges where he can pursue a criminal justice degree, something his mother said is just another way for him to help others.