Teen's Eagle Scout Project Feeds 514 Families

0:00It's April 27. You're listening to Kansas News today? 15-year-old Mason Cooley from Troop 289 in Spring Hill just crushed his Eagle Scout project by whipping up and delivering over five. Hundred lasagna's to families in need around Kansas City, Topeka, and Wichita. He teamed up with the nonprofit Lasagna Love, aiming for exactly 500 dishes over three build days spread across four months, and his crew. Smashed it with 514 on the final push Saturday morning. Earlier this week, Mason spotted hundreds of backed-up requests on the Lasagna Love site with no volunteer chefs stepping up, so he jumped into clear. That gap. He fundraised $2,500 just for January, and kept the momentum going, pulling in a total of $10,301. Dollars to cover costs. His parents, Nick and Sarah, got hooked on Lasagna Love during the pandemic after losing their jobs and getting community meals themselves.

1:03Promise to pay it forward, starting small and growing it into Scout service. Sarah thought Mason was nuts when he pitched clearing the backlog last September, but now the whole family's beaming with pride over the lives he's touched. Mason haggled deals to drop Lasagna costs from $25 a pan to under $17 each and volunteers handled deliveries to homes and spots like Synergy Services and Healing House. Sunday, they hauled 50 pans to Emporia and more to Topeka folks, wrapping up the massive effort. With 21 merit badges done and this project in the books, Mason's eyeing the Eagle Board review next, then leading his troop to help others. Earned their skies the limit for this young hustler, making real waves in his community.