Peru teen earns Eagle Scout Award, makes garden beds for seniors as service project

Cameron Olivero, of Peru, received his Eagle Scout Award during a Sept. 17 ceremony at the First Congregational Church of Peru.

Olivero, son of Judge Melissa and attorney Douglas Olivero, is a junior at La Salle-Peru High School. He is a member of the football and baseball teams and previously played basketball. He also is a Harbor Homeroom and Link leader. After graduation he plans to attend a four-year university and then law school.

Olivero is the ninth Scout from Troop 123 to earn Eagle Scout award in the past five years. His brother Andrew also is a Scout. His father, two uncles and four cousins all have earned the Eagle Scout award. Judge Olivero has served as the Scoutmaster of Troop 123 since 2021.

Eagle Scout is both an award and the highest rank in Boy Scouts of America. Only 6% of Scouts earn this rank, estimated to be 0.3% of the overall U.S. population. In order to achieve this honor, Olivero earned 36 merit badges, 15 more than required. As a result, he received bronze, gold and silver palms to wear on his Eagle Scout medal.

During his Boy Scouting career, Olivero mastered more than 100 tasks, camped 33 nights, performed more than 100 hours of community service and hiked 23.5 miles. He is a member of Order of the Arrow, Scouting’s national honor society. He has earned the National Outdoor Achievement Award for camping. He has demonstrated leadership in Troop 123 by serving as a Patrol Leader, Chaplain Aide and Order of the Arrow Representative.

Olivero’s Eagle Scout Service Project was Garden Beds for Seniors. He designed and supervised the building of four raised garden beds at Bridges Community Center/Alternatives for the Older Adult in Peru, allowing elderly clients to safely grow vegetables and flowers. The project took about 80 hours to complete and involved 15 volunteers. Olivero raised $945 for the project and, at its conclusion, donated $300 to Bridges/Alternatives.

Mike Bird of M. Bird Construction in La Salle assisted with the project, providing technical expertise, workspace and equipment.

At the ceremony, Olivero presented Eagle Scout Mentor pins to his former Scoutmasters Ritch Fundell and Eric Bara, former Cub Scout leaders Jason Maus, Sara O’Dell, Loren Ross and Bird. He was recognized with a certificate of achievement from the Order of St. George. He also received congratulatory letters from numerous elected officials and celebrities including Sen. Dick Durbin, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Gov. JB Pritzker, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary Kay O’Brien, Chuck Norris, University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban and University of Michigan head basketball coach Juwan Howard.