Good Neighbors

Teen Builds Boat Racks for Youth Sailing Program

Alex Gawel, 15, and more than 35 volunteers constructed racks at Dunedin Marina on Dec. 15 to store new Laser racing sail boats that will ultimately allow the Dunedin Youth Sailing program to expand.

The Dunedin Youth Sailing Association was looking to purchase Laser sail boats so its progam could include more competitive racing options for the older teens. The only problem? The prorgam had no place to store the boats. That's when Alex Gawel, a 15-year-old member of Boy Scout Troop 10, decided to take it on as his Eagle Scout project. Alex Gawel learned to sail and race through the Dunedin Youth Sailing Assocation program, which caters to children ages 8 to 16. The Laser boat purchases would expand the Dunedin Youth Sailing program to include teens 16 to 18. His father Jeffery Gawel still has ties to the program. "When the need came up, it fit perfectly with Alex's need for a project that he could feel passionate about," his mother …

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