The Spirit of America Park in Ridley was restored to its former glory, thanks in big part to the efforts of a local Boy Scout, Edward Caleo, writes Pat Toddy for KYW Newsradio.

According to Ridley Park Mayor Henry Eberle, the aspiring Eagle Scout inspired the entire neighborhood with his service project. Eberle was considering just cutting the grass and planting something around it.

But Caleo, 17, a member of Woodlyn Troop 43, already had an improved monument in his mind.

“I wanted to incorporate all of 9/11, the Keystone for Flight 93 in Shanksville, the Pentagon, and of course, the Twin Towers,” he said.

The Boy Scout was joined by scout leaders, business owners, and volunteers to bring his idea to life. It took nine months, and the result was astonishing.

One of the inscriptions on the monument reads “Love doesn’t end when life ends,” something one of the young boys who lost his parents on 9/11 said at the time.

“So, Ed loved it so much that he put it on the monument,” said Caleo’s mother, Kim.

Read more about Edward Caleo from KYW Newsradio by clicking here.

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