East Limestone’s Waters reaches Eagle Scout rank with troop community project

ATHENS – An Eagle Scout candidate, his friends, volunteers and a famous graduate all collided in a project visualized by an East Limestone High School senior.

There was Garrett Waters, who at the time needed to develop and manage a project to get the highest ranking a scout can achieve.

There were cohorts from Troop 236 who formed a team.

There were volunteers.

And there was Brittany Howard, a Grammy Award-winning solo artist who blazed onto the music scene with the group Alabama Shakes. 

The project: build benches to be presented to fire stations, schools and a church throughout the East Limestone community.

The outcome: The benches are in place and Waters is an Eagle Scout.

“The experience was inspiring because we all came together and we all worked toward a goal, and I really enjoyed doing that because that’s one of the biggest parts of being in the Scouting program,” Waters said. “I was working together with people that have a common interest with me and that definitely played a big role in my growth.”

The bench designs are in a colorful pop-art style inspired by artist Romero Britto:

• Creekside Primary School: Flying heart, apple, peace sign: Creekside Primary School
• Creekside Elementary: Girl and boy student holding winged globe
• East Limestone High: Guitar and music notes tribute to Brittany Howard
• East Limestone High: Angel, dedicated to the memory of former student and Brittany’s younger sister Jaime Howard, who had cancer from a rare eye disease.
• East Limestone Volunteer Fire Station (East Limestone Road): Dalmatian with bone
• East Limestone Volunteer Fire Station (Capshaw Road): Abstract Dalmatian with rose
• Isom’s Chapel: Sunburst and peace dove

Ana Waters, Garrett’s mom, said money was raised for the project at first through a GoFundMe account.

“We were later blessed to receive a generous donation of $2,000 from East Limestone High School (and band) alum, Brittany Howard,” she said. “Since we had already met our financial requirement for the supplies for the benches, Ms. Howard asked that we provide her $2,000 donation to the ELHS Marching Band for any equipment  needs, and/or support of band fees for children unable to pay the fees to take part in band, etc.”

His mother said Garrett researched for measurements and instructions to plan the benches.

“He wanted them to be large and sturdy and substantial and so found a good one online,” Ana said. “He made the supply list, worked up the budget, led a team of his peers from the boy scout troop and some adult volunteers cutting all the wood, building the benches, sanding them.

“He picked out a stain to have them stained and then he had the backs of the benches painted kind of in that pop art, bright colored style that you might have seen. He was the project manager and a lot of the labor was done by him as well.”

The benches are sealed with a durable outdoor marine spar varnish to preserve the color and prevent weather damage.

Adults who helped Garrett and Troop 236 with the project included his dad, Chris; grandpa, David Cantrell; cousin, Daniel Whitten; and Henry Gilson, Jared Gilson and Abby MacIntire.

“We just wanted to give the East Limestone community something they could have for a long time in a way it could help a lot of people,” Garrett Waters said. “We worked long and hard on those bunches and they’re definitely a labor of love.”