LaBanz earns Eagle Scout rank with trail markers project

FALLBROOK – Keegan LaBanz, a member of Fallbrook Boy Scout Troop 739, recently earned the highest honor in Boy Scouts, the Eagle Scout Award. Only four per­cent of all Boy Scouts attain this honor.

LaBanz’s Eagle Scout project consisted of the installation of six trail markers along the riding trails at REINS, a Fallbrook therapeutic horsemanship program. He first held a local art contest to find original cartoon characters to decorate the markers. The artists who participated, Josef Weglarz, Kai Kroeger, Rebecca Zatlin, and Joe Schmidt, donated their time and talents to create the wonderful cartoon characters that adorn the trail markers.

The REINS students voted on their favorite characters and those images were transferred digitally to aluminum signs. LaBanz oversaw a group of volunteers who cleared each marker site, dug and sunk the six foot poles, mounted the signs, and beautified each area with flowers and ground cover.

LaBanz is the son of Karen LaBanz-Barnes and Frank LaBanz, stepson to Harold Barnes, and grandson to Jackie Thurston. He is the brother of Trevor LaBanz, also an Eagle Scout, and Carsen Barnes, a future Eagle.

Keegan LaBanz began scouting as a six-year-old Tiger Cub and rose through the ranks. With Troop 739, he held the leadership positions of senior patrol leader, patrol leader and den chief. He is a Fallbrook High School senior who plays on the varsity football and rugby teams. He attends Palomar College, and works part-time for Digiplex Theaters. He has been accepted to Northern Arizona University in the fall and will major in electrical and computer engineering.