Scout selects church prayer garden for Eagle project

Alonzo Ramessar has a vision for a small space at his church, Ocoee Oaks United Methodist Church. It looks bare and neglected, but when he’s finished with his project, he hopes it will be an inviting garden area for reflection and prayer.

The space is underneath the bell tower at the front of the church. Ramessar plans to repair the motor on the existing fountain; pressure wash the eight-by-eight-foot concrete slab; put in landscaping with mulch, pea gravel, plants and flowers; and add stepping stones, lights, a cross and two benches.

The church has donated two benches for the project; they need to be sandblasted and painted, and the wood must be replaced and the new wood sealed. With the funds raised, he will pay for the church to have a memorial engraved on one of the benches. He also wants to place a large stone that will be engraved with a Bible verse of the church’s choosing.

“I thought it was something I could do to give back to the church, and they’ve been wanting to do this for a while,” Ramessar said.

“I have been attending Ocoee Oaks United Methodist Church all of my life, and I am so thankful that they are offering their space to Pack and Troop 922 to help the scouts fulfill their goal of earning the Eagle Scout rank,” he wrote on his fundraising page.

The Eagle candidate organized a car wash at his church over the weekend, and more than $500 was raised.

Any money left over after all the materials are purchased will be donated to the church.

Ramessar expects to start working on his project in late May or early June, once school is out. He hopes to have it completed before school begins again in August.

Nine years ago, Ramessar started his scouting journey when he became a cub scout with Pack 217. Four years later, he crossed over to boy scout with Troop 922 in Ocoee. He enjoys everything outdoors and is the first to say yes when it comes to camping. He has spent a week camping at Florida National High Adventure Sea Base in Key West and has participated annually in — and won — the raft building and racing competition with other troops at Camp La-No-Che in Paisley.

He also is a brotherhood member of the Order of Arrow. Ramessar has 25 merit badges and more than 2,000 service hours, most of them from volunteering at Ocoee Elementary School when he was a student at Ocoee Middle.

Ramessar is a sophomore at Ocoee High School and is involved in Student Government and the AICE Program. He also is a member of the Beta Club and Escape Room Club.

He has attended Ocoee Oaks Methodist since he was a toddler. He is a member of the church and its youth group, and he volunteers in the sound booth during the Sunday worship services.