Teen's Eagle Scout Project Restores Beloved Providence HS Cross

NEW LENOX, IL — A teen's hard work, planning, and fundraising all became worth it earlier this month, when he saw it all come to fruition and his sought-after Eagle Scout rank came within reach.

Providence Catholic High School senior Ryan Gade, 17, had been eyeing a specific idea for his Eagle Scout project—one he believed would mean so much to not only him, but to the school community. Gade had noticed that a distinct cross on the school's campus seemed to be in poor shape, and would benefit from some reinforcement.

"That thing’s going to collapse one day," he remembers thinking one day in 2019.

The 50-year-old, iconic cross was in rough shape. It would likely take thousands of dollars to complete the structural work, in addition to supplementing the landscaping. It was quite the challenge, Gade realized.

"I thought about it for a little bit, because obviously it’s a pretty big task to get done," he said. "I really think that’s going to be the thing to stand the test of time, and impact my community."

The Monee teen got to work fundraising, starting with a GoFundMe page. As word spread, private donors began to trickle in, with businesses and alumni groups seeking to contribute.

"It just kind of starting blowing up," he said. "... Word got out really quickly. I think it’s just because the project meant so much to the community at large."

Before he knew it, the donations climbed into the thousands, with the Class of 1982 reaching out to donate and share their gratitude about his project. They had been looking for a cause to support in commemoration of their 40-year graduation anniversary.

"It meant so much to their class 40 years ago, just as much as it meant to me," Gade said.

The GoFundMe raised $9,000, with an additional $12,000 coming in from private donors. But the work was just starting for Gade, whose journey with the Scouts organization started when he was in first grade. He began chipping away at the monumental task in front of him in fall of this year.

They'd need the right type of wood, metal, landscaping materials—and enough hands to tackle the job. Fellow scouts and students stepped up to assist Gade. The project came with plenty of obstacles.

"Everything seemed pretty manageable, but after we started working on it, we realized there was a lot more to it," Gade said.

The Eagle Scout project process is meant to test a scout's project management skills and ability to lead a team. A slim 6 percent of all Boy Scouts attain the rank of Eagle Scout. On a larger scale, considering the entire population of Scout-age youth in the United States, that percentage drops to about 0.3 percent.

Gade learned quickly that to get the job done, he'd have to be resourceful.

"I reached out to certain lumberyards to find the right kind of wood to use, a mason to help work with the brick," he said. "For the metal working, it took me quite a while—I had to go and find a blacksmith to help us forge and restore some of the metalwork."

It was long hours over many days, and the project was finished in early-December, with the cross re-asserted to its rightful state and place near the school entrance. Gade's father Tom was awestruck by his son's dedication and ability to complete such a large project.

"Definitely inspiring," Tom Gade said, "while at the same time humbling, because I was once a Boy Scout, and I never finished Eagle Scout. I never had anyone to put me over the edge."

His son is a quintessential "good kid," he said, who maintains good grades (he was recently named an Illinois State Scholar), while also being involved in student council, and bowling on the school's team.

"He’s very straightforward, he’s honest, he always speaks his mind," Gade said of his son. "He’s outgoing ... he’s very talkative. Very sociable."

His son has also shown the same kind of focus needed for this project before. During his time in the Scouts organization, Ryan has earned of 65 merit badges, "which all take time and dedication to investing in yourself.

"There’s a lot of obedience, time and dedication to doing that," Tom Gade said.

"When he puts his mind to something, wants to accomplish it, he does it—even his schoolwork, he’s very studious."

The project—and being a part of the Scouts organization in general—taught Ryan a lot of lessons, he said.

"The biggest thing I’ve learned throughout this process and 6 years in scouting, I’ve been able to learn survival skills, and have been able to experience the world, I’ve learned so much about how to be a leader — the core values of scouting, what it means to be helpful and kind to others," he said. "Loyalty, too. It took a lot of loyalty, dedication to community, schools, just to get this project done."