Conscientia – Chop Wood, Carry Water

ELKINS, W.Va. – When 15-year-old Aidan Lowther started thinking about what he was going to do for his annual 4-H project this summer, he knew wanted to take a different approach.

For the past four years, Lowther, who will be a junior at Elkins High School this fall, centered his projects around livestock. And although the subject matter was important to both himself and 4-H, he wanted to focus this year’s project on something that would benefit his community.

“I volunteered at the Elkins Parks and Recreation Summer Camp last year and I noticed that people in the area with disabilities, like being in a wheelchair, didn’t really have much to do,” Lowther told The Inter-Mountain. “So I decided to ask the Parks and Recreation for permission to build a wheelchair swing as part of a community service project.”

After being granted the go-ahead to tackle the project, Lowther started seeking donations to make his dream project become a reality. After sending out letters, knocking on doors, and talking to people face-to-face, Lowther came to realize he was collecting more money than he originally projected for one wheelchair swing, which was to be installed at the Elkins City Park.

“My community really showed up for me,” said Lowther. “And it shows with the fact that we were able to get three wheelchair swings with the money I raised, instead of one.”