Grayslake Boy Scout Troop 303 Holding Mulch Sale

With the weather finally warming up, are you planning to start buying mulch for your yard?

Grayslake Boy Scout Troop 303 is selling mulch, giving residents the chance to get what they need for their yards and support the local scouting program. This will be the troop's first mulch sale.

The troop is selling 2 cubic feet of mulch for $3.25 per bag. There are four colors to choose from: natural, dark brown, walnut and red. You can pre-order via email by April 10 at 0303.mulch@gmail.com, and there is free delivery to Grayslake residents who order 28 bags (2 yards) or more. You can also visit Lord of Glory Church, 607 W. Belvidere Road, on April 13 and 27, where scouts will load the mulch into your vehicle. You can only pay by cash or check on-site.

"The costs of scouting increase every year, and we increasingly are encountering families that can't afford to have their boys participate in campouts due to the high costs and the impact the economy has had on their family finances," said Tom Staroszczyk, committee chairman. "Our troop committee was saddened when we started to see participation in monthly campouts decrease due to the high costs. On average, it costs each scout about $40 per campout. As a result, we knew that it was critical that we increase fundraising activity to ensure every scout has an opportunity to attend."

Staroszczyk said Troop 303 has two to three fundraisers each year—mostly product sales. Such fundraisers, however, "can be difficult for families as they typically lean on the same family, friends, co-workers, etc… for support."

Staroszczyk said families and scouts asked the committee to look for a fundraiser that focused on providing a service—loading the mulch into vehicles—rather than just selling a product. He added that half of the money earned will go into each scout's individual account, and that money can be used for things like the monthly campouts, summer camp and scout gear. The other half of the money goes into the troop's account, Staroszczyk said, to cover campsite reservations, leader training and other expenses.

"It's our first year doing the sale, but we are super excited about it," said Staroszczyk. "We partnered with a local merchant to provide the mulch at a cost-effective price so that we could price it to compete with Home Depot or the local gas station. And since the product is created locally, we believe that the end product is a higher quality than what you can get at these other places. So if you were going to buy mulch anyway, and it's cost neutral, why wouldn't you help out scouts and buy from us?

"We plan on making this an annual event, so please make our inaugural year a success!"