In the midst of a global pandemic, Ryker Horton was sure of one thing: Everyone needs a mask.
The 17-year-old Eagle Scout candidate kept that in mind as he spent weeks recruiting and organizing volunteers to make reusable face masks for two beneficiaries, Park Valley Pediatrics and the Rose Senior Living facility.
Horton and his peers set a goal to make 160 masks by the end of April. With the help of guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — and a few sewing machines — the group is ready to meet that goal as soon as next week.
“As soon as I had the idea to make masks, I started writing out a plan for it,” Horton said. “Like, not even 15 minutes later, I was already sitting down planning how to do this. We’ve followed CDC guidelines every step of the way.”
Although most of the volunteers were fellow scouts of Round Rock-based Boy Scout Troop 365, Horton received dozens of emails from people looking to get involved.
“We have all the volunteers we need, thankfully,” Horton said. “The community response has been overwhelmingly positive. Everyone wanted to help.”
Like many other students across the U.S., Horton’s senior year of high school was plagued with uncertainty. As measures were taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and classes were moved online, students lost traditional rites of passage like prom and graduation. By mid-April, the Round Rock school district, following the direction of Gov. Greg Abbott, closed its schools and offices for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year.
“Thankfully I haven’t been affected too much by it,” Horton said. “I still get to talk to my friends and play video games with them online. In between that and homework, I’ve been working on my Eagle Scout project, and we’re very close to meeting our goal.”
Horton and his team work hard to stay on task while social distancing.
“It’s difficult doing everything online,” Horton said. “I’m very relaxed usually, so I’m not used to this level of project. It’s even tougher not being able to meet with my team members in person. It’s taught me how to be a leader, though, and how to manage a large task remotely.
“Stressed is a little bit of an understatement, but we’re getting things done,” he said.
Ryker’s father, Richard Horton, is proud to see his son mobilize volunteers for a much needed cause. Horton said Boy Scouts has taught his son how to be members of the community.
“I’m pretty proud to see him taking an initiative to provide something that can help out people in our community,” Horton said. “Community is a big focus of the Boy Scouts.”
As he reaches the end of his project, Ryker stressed the importance of sewing and donating masks.
“Hospitals need masks, but let’s not forget about the little guys too,” he said. “Everyone needs masks at a time like this.”
The city of Round Rock has set up three donation drop-off locations for the public to drop off sewn masks, close-weaved fabric and elastic. Masks will be sanitized by CDC-approved disinfectant for coronavirus and then distributed to first responders and health care personnel in the area. For more information, visit roundrocktexas.gov.
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