A police station can be a scary place for a child. But thanks to a local teen and his Eagle Scout project, the Sully District Station just got a whole lot friendlier for children.

The person responsible is Centreville High senior Parker King. His efforts transformed a plain, drab space into a bright and cheerful, under-the-sea-themed playroom. And last Thursday, July 31, he was honored during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for it.

Lt. Bob Blakley, the assistant station commander, presented King with a Commander’s Commendation for “recognition of exceptional performance and dedication to the Sully District Station and outstanding community service to the Sully District.”

“The fact that he was able to put all this energy into the playroom and found the folks to donate items to it is a testament to his energy and commitment,” said Blakley.

“This playroom is used for various situations, such as lost kids or kids we need to entertain while mom and/or dad are being interviewed,” said Crime Prevention Officer Tara Gerhard. When crime victims come to the station, it’s helpful for them to be able to speak with officers and Victims’ Services personnel in a quiet atmosphere. And now, their children will have a place to play while that’s happening.

Also honored for their contributions, and receiving business-recognition certificates – “in recognition of your act of kindness and unwavering support of Parker King’s Eagle Scout project – were the Chantilly Walmart and Franklin’s Printing in Chantilly. Walmart donated the paint, furnishings and electronics for the room, and Franklin’s donated the colorful vinyl graphic for one of the walls.

“I have two boys, including one who’s working on his Eagle Scout project, too,” said Franklin’s owner, Betsy Wilson. “And this playroom is good for the community and good for the kids. And I thought it was a really great idea, and very imaginative.”

Walmart Personnel Manager Nancy Ward said the store wanted to support King and “give back to the community. Walmart’s all about helping the community improve, and it was fun doing the shopping.”

“There are so many things across Sully we’d love to do, but can’t find the time, people or funds, so Eagle Scout projects are a tremendous resource,” said Supervisor Michael R. Frey (R-Sully). “And this one is certainly different. As far as I know, it’s the first project anyone’s done at the station here.”

“You don’t always think about a crime’s impact on all the victims,” he continued. “And if a child comes with their parents, a police station can be an intimidating place. So this playroom softens the situation for the children and will be a huge benefit to the station. Officers won’t have to worry where the kids should go, and it gives a comfort level to both them and the families.”

King, 16, plays saxophone in Centreville’s band; is in the Spanish, Science and National honor societies; and belongs to his school’s Amnesty Club, which promotes political freedom and world peace. And he hopes to get an ROTC scholarship and eventually become an Air Force engineer like his father, Lt. Col. Bobby King.

So how did this Eagle Scout project come about? “My mom [Jonna] knows Kasey Kirkland, this station’s Victims’ Services specialist, and we’d asked her if there was anything around the station we could help her with,” said Parker King. “She suggested a place where children could come.”

A member of Troop 717 of St. Andrew Catholic Church, King started working on plans for the playroom last summer. He and his mother and stepfather, Charlie Devine – who was also his project coach – visited various stores and asked for their help.

“We got turned down by multiple stores,” said King. “But that made me more determined to get donations.” And he did, from Walmart and Franklin’s Printing.

The room now contains a TV, DVD player, toddler-sized picnic table with benches, a white board for drawing, a magnetic board for playing games like tic-tac-toe, stuffed animals and a storage bin for toys. It’s freshly painted and one wall is covered with an ocean graphic of fanciful fish and plants.

“Al Oglesby, manager of the Chantilly Walmart, was amazing to us,” said King. “We couldn’t have done it without him; he donated everything but the vinyl graphic. And Charlie works in graphic design, so he knew Franklin’s through his business connections. Franklin’s was also very good to us and was quick with its donation.”

If not for the contributions of the two, local businesses, said King, the room would have otherwise cost “close to $3,000” to redo. He said he and Devine chose the underwater scene because “we felt these were the most comforting colors and would be the most-effective theme.”

King’s younger siblings did most of the room painting, while he supervised. Wielding the paintbrushes were Centreville High freshman Kayla, 14, and Centreville Elementary sixth- and fourth-graders, respectively, Jonathan, 11, and Naomi, 9. (King also has two stepbrothers, Charlie Jr., 23, who’s going into the Marines, and Caleb, 22, already in the USMC.)

In May, Gerhard helped King determine where to place everything in the room, and the project was finished June 6. But to accommodate everyone’s schedules, the ribbon-cutting wasn’t held until last week.

“I feel good about it,” said King. “I think it turned out really well, and I’m happy that we could give back to the community.”