Senior citizens benefit from Shriver’s Eagle project

To earn the Eagle Scout rank, Christopher Shriver built a project that will allow senior citizens in declining health to grow flowers and vegetables.

For his service project, Shriver led construction of an oversized planter workstation for Grandview Gardens, an assisted-living facility for patients who have Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

“I’ve always had respect for the Eagle Scout award as a symbol of the values of outdoor skills and community service,” Shriver said. “I also wanted to be the best I could in Scouting, including earning its highest rank.”

The planter “was designed by Mr. David Livingston, the husband of a resident at Grandview Gardens,” Shriver said. The unit has 10 gardening stations “where residents can work while sitting in a chair, allowing them to garden without the strain of working on their hands and knees.”

Residents and staff members at Grandview Gardens are pleased with the planter, Shriver said.

“Because I had almost no carpentry experience, Nick Parker was a great help with the woodworking involved,” Shriver said. “I received a lot of help from Scouts in my troop and from friends at school.” He belongs to Troop 351 with Scoutmaster Monte Bateman.

Shriver was born in Illinois but has lived in Madison since he was a second-grader. He attended Rainbow Elementary School, Discovery Middle School and now is a senior at Bob Jones High School.

Christopher’s parents are John and Elaine Shriver. His older brother, Iain, is a junior in the architecture program at Auburn University.

The Shriver family moved to Madison in 2001 when Christopher’s father accepted a professorship with the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

In academic achievement at Bob Jones, Christopher is a National Merit Semifinalist and has been invited to apply for the Presidential Scholarship. He is a member of the Bob Jones Patriot Band and math team. He also plays piano.