A local Boy Scout troop that was facing a summer without camping trips due to the theft of their trailer and supplies can breathe a sigh of relief today thanks to the generosity of a local company.
Chris Nagel, left, assistant Scoutmaster for North Ridgeville Troop 153, William Price, Brandon Nagel, and Greg Kuczynski, stand with the troop's old pop-up trailer, which is in unsafe condition on Apr. 27. Their new trailer was stolen recently. (CT photo by Steve Manheim.)
Clear Choice Laser in Brecksville has agreed to fund replacement of all of the $2,500 to $3,000 in supplies that Troop 153 lost when the trailer turned up missing Tuesday at an Avon storage company.
“The last 24 hours have been a whirlwind,” assistant Scoutmaster Chris Nagel said. “We’ve probably received 20 calls (from people wanting to help out), but this has been the big one.”
Nagel said he was contacted by Michelle Laramee from Clear Choice, who said her boss, company CEO Jeff Kissinger saw the story on the news and wanted to help out.
“We have a lot of patients in Avon and in Elyria, so we’ve been very involved with the community there,” Laramee said. That involvement includes participating in the Avon Heritage Duct Tape Festival and the Elyria Apple Festival, among other things.
Since the company uses an RV to do its marketing, Laramee said they felt they were well-versed in the needs of campers.
Nagel said he also contacted the business where he bought the trailer itself, the loss of which will be covered by insurance.
“They have the exact same model that we can buy as soon as we have the insurance check,” he said.
Nagel, whose son, Brandon, 12, is in the troop, says he plans to find a local sporting goods store to work with so he can get Clear Choice the best value possible. He hopes to give them a list of items and prices the troop needs on Monday. Among the items stolen along with the trailer were 10 to 15 tents, propane tanks, lanterns, a camping stove and a large dining tent, Nagel said.
“I’ll figure out what we need to get us back on the road,” Nagel said.
The blessing is twofold, according to Nagel.
“The first thing it means is we’re going to be able to get the boys out camping and doing the Boy Scout things that they like to do very quickly,” he said. “Perhaps more importantly, it provides an example to the boys of the Scout law.”
“It’s about doing a good turn daily, being kind and trustworthy. It’s a great example for the boys that this is what it’s all about: ‘Pay it forward. Now that you’ve been the recipient of a good turn, go do it for someone else.’ “
