LI Scouts to make masks, earn coronavirus merit badges
Town of Hempstead supervisor Donald Clavin, center, with l-r, Councilmen Thomas Muscarella, Chris Carini and left of Clavin, councilman Anthony D'Esposito, talking about the mask making program the Boys Scout will be part of outside Town Hall in Hempstead Tuesday May 5, 2020. The Boy Scouts are making the mask to receive a Coronavirus Merit Badge for their work. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
The Town of Hempstead enlisted new troops in the fight against COVID-19: members of the Boy Scouts of America.
Hempstead Supervisor Don Clavin announced Tuesday the town was partnering with the Boy Scouts, whose members would make masks for first responders, essential workers and elderly residents. For their participation, the scouts would eventually receive the first-ever coronavirus merit badge, which would help them achieve accolades such as the coveted Eagle Scout ranking, town officials said.
“It’s a real tribute, and it says a lot about the youth in our country that during a pandemic, they want to step up, they want to help,” Clavin said during a news conference. “This is a dark time, but you’re seeing a lot of shining lights. And these kids, these young boys and girls, are doing an amazing job.”
Clavin said the idea for the program was hatched about two weeks ago when town officials began receiving inquiries, particularly from Boy Scouts, about how they could help. The idea to make masks was born. “And in about 45 minutes, we had 45 different troops who wanted to help create masks,” he said.
The supervisor was joined by town councilmen Anthony D’Esposito, Chris Carini and Thomas Muscarella during the announcement.
D’Esposito said: “We were contacted by a lot of local troops who were saying, ‘You know, they had young men, young women, who were trying to get their Eagle Scout or their Gold Award project.' They needed something to do during the pandemic.”
The families of more than 40 troops attended the event and were given kits with instructions on how to make the masks and materials, D’Esposito said.
Town of Hempstead Supervisor Donald Clavin offers thanks to people coming out to get a mask-making kit outside Town Hall in Hempstead on Tuesday. The Boy Scouts are making masks to receive a Coronavirus Merit Badge for their work. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
After the masks are made, they will be given to town personnel, who will “sanitize them and then be giving them out to essential workers, first responders and senior citizens,” Clavin said.
Hempstead resident Rukaya Paracha picked up a mask kit for her children Tuesday. Making masks, she said, is important and teaches a valuable lesson that “everyone is important in our life.”
Clavin said other municipalities such as Oyster Bay and North Hempstead had shown interest in joining the program.
“We’ll expand this program. I’ll do it islandwide,” he said. “I’ll partner up with other districts and do this statewide.”
