Eagle Scout projects help Mercer Island community

For the Reporter

Two Mercer Island Boy Scouts — Samuel Postma, 18, and Daniel Chivo, 18 — helped their local communities through Eagle Scout projects. Postma’s project encouraged signups for the stem cell registry and Chivo’s project restored a previously neglected overgrown portion of the Herzl Ner Tamid Synagogue’s property.

In February 2020, Postma’s project was implemented in two phases. The first phase encouraged people to sign up for the stem cell registry. Stem cell donation is a lifesaving treatment for those with blood and bone marrow cancers. Those on the stem cell registry may be contacted and asked to donate stem cells if they match closely with a patient. The second phase involved a drive that helped people join the registry. This project added eight people to the registry and increased the likelihood that someone would receive a lifesaving treatment.

“To meet my goal to save even one more person’s life means adding many new potential donors to the registry,” Postma said. “The odds of being selected as a donor are small but if you are that person, what a gift to be able to help someone in that way. I am honored to have this opportunity to bring this message and opportunity to my community through my Eagle Scout project.”

In August 2020, Chivo worked with Mercer Island community volunteers to restore, create and pave a new trail, then build and install a new bench on Herzl Ner Tamid Synagogue’s property. Since 2012, Chivo’s family has been attending this synagogue. When he was much younger, he also used to attend the synagogue for youth programs. This project cleaned up an area so that others could enjoy the bench and have better access to the area.

“It was so exciting to me to finally be able to complete my Eagle Scout project at the Herzl Synagogue because it was a chance for me to improve a familiar childhood setting of mine for those both younger and older than myself,” said Chivo. “Overall, the project really made me feel as if I had made a positive, measurable and long-lasting contribution to my community, one which I hope will inspire future scouts to make projects of their own.”

Both Postma and Chivo hope that youth see their projects, get inspired to add to their communities, and further perpetuate positive changes in communities on a local scale. Special thanks go to Joseph Wilson (Be The Match’s representative), Julie and David Chivo (parents), Sidney and Holly Postma (parents), all the Scouts of Troop 647, Kyle Sugamele (project coach), Steve Townsend (Scoutmaster former), Bruce Hendrickson (Scoutmaster former), David Fick (Scoutmaster) and all the other Troop 647 adult volunteers.