Alexis McCullough, a local Eagle Scout who made a name for herself honoring Gold Star families, is raising funds for another cause that is close to her heart.
McCullough is completing a fundraising campaign to benefit the American Heart Association.
The 18-year-old Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School student was nominated for the AHA’s Teen of Impact campaign, a nationwide initiative that brings together students who want to make a difference by raising funds and awareness to fight heart disease and stroke.
Six years ago, her father, Col. Mark McCullough, died from a heart attack at the age of 51 while serving active duty in the Army.
With his passing, she became a Gold Star Family member.
“His loss had tremendously affected me, yet I had the support of my community to motivate me,” McCullough said in a statement.
Her fundraising campaign launched Feb. 7 and will continue through April 9.
The money helps fund research, prevention programs and education that can help save lives.
“If my desire to give my all to this project wasn’t already apparent, I have donated $500 of my own savings to begin,” she said in the statement.
To learn more or to make a donation, visit Alexis McCullough’s campaign page on the American Heart Association website, which can be found at tinyurl.com/4487d8rb.
The American Heart Association is the largest non-profit, non-governmental funder of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular research, according to its website.
McCullough has already completed a large-scale fundraising endeavor for her Eagle Scout service project, one of the requirements of earning the rank of Eagle Scout from the Scouts of America.
In April 2025, a dedication ceremony was held at Bourbonnais’ Marcotte Park to unveil a new Woody Williams Foundation Gold Star Families Memorial Monument, which honors family members who have lost a loved one in active duty military service.
McCullough planned the installation of the monument with the help of Bourbonnais village officials and the Woody Williams Foundation, and she raised over $120,000 to make it happen.
She sought to honor her dad’s memory while dedicating the monument to Gold Star Families.