Spencerport scout plans
book drive for Wilmot Cancer Center

There's nothing like a good book to take your mind off daily stresses. A Spencerport Boy Scout hopes to offer those kinds of distractions to people with cancer and in turn, earn himself the Eagle Award.

Andrew Diehl, 17, is holding a book drive on Saturday, January 8, to benefit patients at the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center at the University of Rochester Medical Center. He will collect books, comics and CDs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Ogden Farmers' Library, where he works part-time.

"I often see people coming into the library with bags and boxes of books that they wish to donate," says Diehl, a senior at Spencerport High School. "This almost daily occurrence made me aware that many people had books they had no use for and they were looking for an outlet."

Diehl, of Coolidge Avenue in Spencerport, knows how cancer diagnoses can affect a family, as he's lost several relatives to the disease and wanted to help people get through their treatment a bit easier.

Each year, thousands of people with cancer undergo lengthy chemotherapy infusions or diagnostic testing, and reading materials are always appreciated, says Catherine Lyons, R.N., M.S., C.N.A.A., associate director for cancer services at the Wilmot Cancer Center.

Diehl, a member of Troop 04, will work with other scouts to collect, pack and deliver the materials to the Wilmot Cancer Center, located at Strong Memorial Hospital. This community service project will fulfill requirements for Diehl to earn the Eagle Award, the highest honor in Boy Scouting.