St Rose of Lima School graduate Matthew Belisari dedicated his Eagle Scout Project to his alma mater by building a Gaga Pit for the school's playground.

Belisari graduated from St Rose School last year and is currently a sophomore at St Joseph's High School in Trumble. He currently holds the position of Chaplain’s Aid for Troop 770, chartered by St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, and is working on completing his Eagle Scout application.

A Gaga Pit is a version of Dodgeball played inside an octagonal walled enclosure typically 8 feet in diameter and 3 feet high. Gaga begins with all players standing along the inside of the pit with one hand touching the wall.

The game starts when someone yells “Ga-Ga!” and the ball is thrown into the center. Players strike with an open hand, attempting to hit opponent below the knee. If a player gets hit, they are knocked out. The last player standing is the winner.

Belisari met with St Rose Dean of Student Life Mary Jo Bokuniewicz and St Rose Pastor Father Peter Cipriani to get approval for his project.

Once he received approval, Belisari submitted his Eagle Scout Project Application to the Connecticut Yankee Council (CYC) for their approval and met with the CYC’s Eagle Project Coordinator to discuss the details of his project. The coordinator approved his project which meant that he could start fundraising.

Belisari fundraised after each of the Masses at St Rose during the last weekend in January, and was able to fundraise enough money to build the Gaga Pit out of structural composite lumber. This lumber, according to Belisari's father, Joe, will last a very long time.

Then Belisari coordinated the delivery of the gaga pit materials with St Rose School and organized Scouts to help build the Gaga Pit. Since a big part of Scouting is learning to lead and delegate, Belisari supervised the Gaga Pit construction on Saturday, May 1, while adding some finishing touches over the next two weeks.

Joe said the project taught his valuable leadership, planning and project management skills that will last a lifetime.

Belisari expressed his gratitude to the Bokuniewicz, Cipriani, and the St Rose community for their support of his Eagle Scout Projects and Scouting in Newtown.