James Wood and his father before his death in 2006.MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -
A Murfreesboro Eagle Scout's project will benefit a camp that helped him cope with the tragic loss of his father six years ago.
Then nine-year-old James Woods' dad died suddenly in March of 2006.
To help her son deal with the loss, James' mother sent him to Alive Hospice's Camp Forget-Me-Not.
The camp is specially designed to help children cope with the grief they are experiencing after losing someone special.
"The biggest and most important part of camp is that connection that we make with other kids. A lot of times when you are grieving you feel isolated and when you come to camp you are not isolated any more. They are with a bunch of other kids that get it and understand [loss]," explained grief counselor and camp director Pam Quaintance.
Camp Forget-Me-Not was a big help for young James.
When it came time to pursue a project to become an Eagle Scout, James, now 15, wanted to do a project to honor the memory of his father and give back to the camp.
He constructed memory boxes campers at Camp Forget-Me-Not will use to hold mementos of loved ones.
James told Nashville's News 2 he originally planned to build 45 boxes for the camp, but after successfully raising $2,000 he was able to build 100 boxes.
"It could be [for] grandpa's watch, mom's ring, dad's gold chain," explained James.
James said he wanted to give back to the camp that helped him deal with the loss of his father.
"By the end of the three day program I felt a sense of unity. Not as kids who have lost a loved one, but as kids that learn to go on with their lives and remember the ones they lost," he said.
After overseeing and building the boxes, James donated the extra $600 to Alive Hospice's summer camps.
For more information on Camp Forget-Me-Not visit their Web site.
