Thursday, February 26, 2009

News of Aaron Eilerts Day

The students of Robert Blue Middle School of Eagle Grove celebrated Aaron's life and legacy on Tuesday, February 24th along with community members and Aaron's freshman classmates. An assembly concluded the day's activities. Governor Chet Culver was one of the speakers and awarded a volunteer medal to Aaron posthumously.
The following stations posted videos of the Aaron Eilerts Day commemoration on their web sites.

ABC http://www.myabc5.com/Global/category.asp?C=7587

Des Moines KCCI http://www.kcci.com/video/18787951/index.html

Mason City KIMT http://www.kimt.com/mediacenter/local.aspx

Sioux City KCAU http://www.kcautv.com/

The following news articles were also published:

Cedar Falls KCRG http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/40100982.html

Des Moines Examiner http://www.examiner.com/Subject-Aaron_Eilerts_Day.html

Fort Dodge Messenger http://messengernews.net/page/content.detail/id/513195.html?nav=5010

Omaha WOWT http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/40282512.html

Radio Iowa, Pat Powers http://www.radioiowa.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=ADEE4660-5056-B82A-3713A78F0376BB85

Sioux City and Siouxland KMEG http://www.kmeg.com/Global/story.asp?S=9899684

Monday, February 9, 2009

Aaron Eilerts Day of Service and Giving


February 24, 2009
Robert Blue Middle School
Eagle Grove, Iowa

Goal: To carry on Aaron’s legacy of service to others.

Learn about others who have also lived a life of service:

• Read: The Richest Man by V.J. Smith. www.lifesgreatmoments.com
• Watch: The Ultimate Gift www.theultimategift.com/movie.php
• Reflect: School assembly highlighting volunteerism and service

Participate in these Aaron Eilerts inspired service projects:
• Sew pillowcases (donate to hospitals, group homes, veterans, and other public
servants)
• Scoop snow
• Create tie blankets (donate to shelters)
• Make pet-sized fleece tie blankets (donate to the
Humane Society or animal shelters)
• Create holiday decorations & fold colorful napkins
(donate to your local Senior Citizen Center or
congregate meals program)
• Decorate plain white pillowcases with fabric markers
(send to soldiers or give to hospitals, the Red Cross,
etc.)
• Create “meals in a box” (give to local food pantry or
meals on wheels program)
• Make birdhouses (give to the county conservation
commission)
• Make fleece scarves (give to shelters or as a gift of
gratitude to public servants)
• Pump gas and clean windshields at local service stations
2:15: Assembly open to the public at the Robert Blue Auditorium
7:00 pm: Grades 5-12 Band Concert at Robert Blue Auditorium
Sky Lanterns will be launched after the concert in honor of Aaron

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Share your memories of Aaron

Aaron's class, the Eagle Grove High School class of 2012, and other friends and students will be making a book of memories to give to his family. If you would like to share a memory with the class and his family, please add a comment to this blog.

About Aaron

Aaron Eilerts, 14 of Eagle Grove, Iowa

Son of Bob and Carol Eilerts

8th grader at Robert Blue Middle School in Eagle Grove

Participated in Football, Cross Country, Track, Band, Choir, Theater, Community Theater, Art, Destination Imagination

Member of Robert Blue Middle School’s Character Counts Youth Leaders also known as
CIA Agents (Character in Action)

Member of Humboldt Boy Scout Troop 108

Huge fan of the Nebraska Cornhuskers

Aaron was nominated for an Iowa Character Counts Award in 2007 and was named the state-wide runner up. He was nominated because of his many community service projects. His was known mostly for his sewing skills and used those skills to do good deeds for others. He was founder of a project called pillowcases for patients. He sewed pillowcases for children in hospitals all over central Iowa and made St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee a target location, even stopping by to drop off some pillowcases while on a vacation to his favorite place, Graceland, Elvis’ Memphis home. Everyone enjoyed his pillow cases, he often made them for teachers at school. His next sewing community project was creating blankets for animals at the Humane Society so that the animals could keep warm. Other community service projects included helping at the Senior Center and at the Rotary Ann nursing home by making center pieces, providing music, or assisting with BINGO. Aaron could be counted on to do community service at every turn and with little prompting.

Aaron was very artistic in nature. He designed the cover of the Robert Blue Middle School Yearbook in 2006. He entered many creations in the local fair in the open entry division, also sending some of his creations on to the state fair. He was asked to be a guest artist in a live downtown window at Christmas time two years ago. Aaron gave of his time and talents in many ways. He performed the National Anthem at many local high school events.

Aaron was serious about scouting. Many projects began as ways to earn badges and he just continued to work at them because of the good they did for others. He already had a plan in mind for his Eagle Scout award and was just waiting to be old enough to put it in action.

A Memorial Account has been established at Security Savings Bank in Eagle Grove.

A 3:00 p.m. memorial service has been planned by Humboldt Troop 108 at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Humboldt, Iowa.

Robert Blue Middle School is open Thursday and Friday at 1:00 p.m. for any students or adults who want to join together to remember Aaron by building a scrapbook for the family. Counselors will be available on-site.

Written by Dawn Sievertsen, Former Robert Blue Middle School Principal