A Gray Stone senior recently completed his community service project in a big way in memory of a friend.
Landon Cord managed a memorial lap-a-thon at the Stanly County Family YMCA to honor Noah Nisbet, his 16-year-old best friend who died in March in a car accident in Salisbury.
“The Lap-a-Thon is a swimming event in which each contender pays a certain amount of money for a set amount of laps or has pledges to raise the most money they can swim,” Cord said. “The funds received from the event are being used to purchase benches and a plaque dedicated to Noah that will be for the Stanly YMCA and the Saleeby-Fisher YMCA, where he swam. My original goal was $3,000, and I raised approximately $7,300.”
The reasoning behind the project was simple for Cord.
“Noah was my best friend since the 6th grade. We met on a Gray Stone field trip and instantly made a connection,” he said. “Noah and I participated in the sport of swimming and stayed in the sport through the 11th grade. Noah and I attended swimming regionals and state championships together and were close enough for our parents to call us ‘swim brothers.’ Noah was a big part of my life throughout my swim and school experience. I knew I had to have my senior project be about him after he passed away.”
Cord said managing the event was a bit of a struggle, with him “overthinking about how well the event would go.”
“The beginning of the project was rough, and I would always go back to doubting myself or worrying about some part of the process,” Cord said. “I am very blessed with the people that have been put in my life. Everyone was gracious and helpful in my project, from the YMCA CEO to my friends and family members to business managers. The tremendous support I have received means the world to me. I could not have asked for a better group of people surrounding my life who were willing to help me with my dream.”

Landon Cord, above, recently organized a lap-a-thon (right) at the Stanly County Family YMCA as his senior project at Gray Stone. It was in honor of his friend, Noah Nisbet, who died in March in a car accident. (Contributed)

Gray Stone Day School Chief Administrative Officer Helen Nance said she is “very proud of Landon for wanting to honor his friend in such a meaningful way.”
“The swim team at Gray Stone is a very close knit group and Noah was a well loved member,” Nance said. “It is such a great project that will be beneficial to many.”
YMCA CEO George Crooker said Cord’s fundraiser was more than a school project.
“It was a labor of love for his friend,” Crooker said. “He showed the maturity and the organizational skills to be successful.”
Cord said he learned much through this project.
“Something I realized is how willing the people are in my life to support me with my goals,” Cord said. “Because of this, I have learned to apply the same concept to others. Noah was always a genuine and caring person. Though he is gone, I feel that a part of him is still with me. I have learned to care for and help others in a better way because of how Noah lived.
“I also have grown closer in my relationship with God from this experience,” he added. “I have grown to trust Him and his process and learned that everything happens for the good Lord’s plan. Time on this earth is short compared to the time we will experience in heaven as children of God.”

B.J. Drye is general manager/editor of The Stanly News & Press. Call 704-982-2123.