UPS Helps Life Scout With Eagle Project

Eric Ellefson, Elk Grove Village Life Scout in Troop 495, called upon a team of UPS workers from Addison to help pack boxes of shoes to be sent to Afghanistan as part of his Eagle Scout Project. The team packed 42 boxes of mostly athletic shoes to be sent to Afghanistan.

This project came about after Eric's football coach, Corey Olson, told him to read the book, "Fearless," by Eric Blehm. It tells the life story of Navy Seal, Adam Brown. In it, Adam overcomes many adversities. One of the things Adam asked for while he was in Afghanistan was shoes, because so many people didn't have any. Eric took this idea and turned it into his Eagle Scout Project. He has been collecting shoes and money for the past six months. He received a generous donation from the Elk Grove Rotary Club.

District 211, Conant High School teachers, Corey Olson and Dave Moravek have supported the project and helped Eric reach his goals. Eric has collected over 300 pairs of shoes.

When it came time to box the shoes, UPS was more than happy to help. Frank Maciel sent a team from the Addison UPS office. With lightning speed, all 42 boxes were packed, addressed and ready for shipment.

Eric's project is proof that good things happen when people work together. In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, " The purpose of a life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well."