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SALEM — Eleven-year-old Camden Mead joined his fellow Boy Scout troop members on a tour of the Salem Police Station. There, he learned the station got their police dog through an Eagle Scout project.
"They were saying that the police dogs are really, really helpful," Camden said. "That they help a lot of people."
He also learned that the Payson Police Department didn't have a dog.
"I just a got a feeling to get a police dog," he said.
The next day at Foothills Elementary School, he had time to work on his Genius Hour project.
"They have an hour to work on anything that they're passionate about, anything that they want to learn more about," Gabrielle Petro, his sixth-grade teacher, said.
The only criteria is that they have to be able to present their project that they researched to the class.
Camden discussed his idea with classmate Ben Larsen, 12.
"Most of my kids are doing things on sports, things on food, things on their hobbies," Petro said. "(Camden and Ben) came up and they decided they wanted to make a website and start a fundraiser to earn Payson Police a K-9."
Petro helped them create a GoFundMe* page. Ben said the police dog costs about $8,000 and it's another $12,000 for equipment and training. The boys have a goal to raise $20,000 by the end of the year.
Lt. Bill Wright of the Payson Police Department stopped by the elementary school to discuss the boys' goal with them.
"I let my police chief there know and he has let our mayor know so they're up and running with it too," Wright said.
It wasn't long before the Payson Mayor and Police Chief visited the boys at school themselves.
The boys have also been reaching out to sponsors for help to reach their goal.
Last week the boys worked at HuHot Mongolian Grill in Spanish Fork which agreed to donate 10 percent of their proceeds to the cause.
Camden posted on the Go Fund Me page Friday about their success.
"So last night at HuHot we earned ruffly 230.00 dollars plus another 70.00 in tips. Thank you for all who came!," the post said.
"They have been obsessed with it," Petro said. "Every spare minute they're like, can we make this phone call? They're calling people during recess and they're checking their e-mail during recess to see if anybody else had donated."
It's motivation that moves her to believe they will meet their goal.
"They're doing something that gives them life skills but then also changes the community so much and adds so much to a community," she said.
Wright said he is grateful and impressed with the kind of project these boys have taken on.
"It’s very satisfying to know that there’s young men out there like that," Wright said. "In the day and age when law enforcement has a lot of critics, it’s really refreshing to hear that we have some supports and those individuals are young men."
Wright said they've had a police dog in the past but after years of service the dog needed to retire. They've hoped to get another police dog and "it looks like this is going to be the thing that puts us over the top."
He also said they've been contacted by another Salem City boy who wants to help the department get a police dog through his Eagle Scout project.
"We would very much accept the ability to have a K-9," Wright said. "It would help us in the drug and addiction work that we do and some public relations that would be good for us as well."
"They're doing something that gives them life skills but then also changes the community so much and adds so much to a community." Gabrielle Petro, sixth-grade teacher
Katie Larsen, Ben's mother, said he has only told her a few details about the project.
"Then he came home from school and said that the police chief was coming to school to meet with them I thought, okay this is more than a school project for him," she said.
Larsen said she's proud of her son, but not surprised because of his persuasive and determined nature.
"He's always been aware of (people) around him and takes people's feelings to heart," Larsen said. "He really has a soft heart when it comes to people and their needs."
Annie Mead, Camden's mother, said it's amazing what a school project can turn into.
"Being able to step back and see what him and his friends were able to accomplish all by themselves was amazing," she said. "I'm just really impressed with his productivity, his ability to go out and talk to adults and to actually get involved in this. In a cause that he really feels is important."
Both the boys said they've learned how much of a difference a little effort can make, and look to help other cities after they achieve their goal for Payson.
"It's taught us that just sixth-graders can make a big impact on a community, Ben said.
To donate, visit the GoFundMe* page.
