Jefferson City native earns Eagle Scout, begins music career

Abraham Numerick, who grew up in Jefferson City, released a music video Thursday in honor of Veterans Day.
Abraham Numerick, who grew up in Jefferson City, released a music video Thursday in honor of Veterans Day.

Abraham Numerick grew up in a house full of soldiers and veterans in Jefferson City.

Now 18 and living in Augusta, Georgia, under the name "Urban Blaze," Numerick recently created a music album, "Teen Patriot."

And to honor Veterans Day, he released a video Thursday for the single "Thankful," expressing his gratitude toward U.S. service personnel.

The video features Numerick walking through a U.S. National Cemetery while singing the tune.

"All the pain and the sorrow - like a feather - drifts away," Numerick sings.

When he was very young, Numerick gained national prominence for an act of generosity that created a statewide relief program for veterans.

The story goes that when he was 3 years old, Numerick's mother had just returned from a tour in Iraq. After his grandmother took him shopping, he had 11 cents remaining. He gave his grandmother the change so she could donate it to injured troops.

The act spurred the "Power of 11 Cents" movement, which raised thousands of dollars for the Missouri Military Relief Fund. During that movement, students were each asked to donate 11 cents for veterans.

This past spring, Numerick earned his Eagle Scout award.

He completed his Eagle Scout project in Stuttgart, Germany, where his mother, Lt. Col. Kate Numerick, was stationed.

For the project, Numerick renovated the HUB Youth Center (on Patch Barracks).

"We have a young man who has grown up as part of a military family," his grandmother, Pat Rowe Kerr, said. "He's showing his appreciation for the service of our veterans, military and their families."