A Leesburg business owner’s efforts to raise money for a special swing for handicapped kids was such a huge success that he’s now got his sights set on a second one.
Mark Stapleton, owner of 441 Thrift Store, recently started raising money for the $3,000 swing that can be used by children in wheelchairs. He said he read about a similar swing on Facebook about three weeks ago when a town on the West Coast decided to purchase one. And the more he thought about it, he believed Leesburg should have one, too.
“We have a lot of children in Leesburg that are handicapped but they’re hidden from society because there’s nothing for them to do,” Stapleton said.
Stapleton initially kicked off the fundraising drive at his store and before long, he found out that another local business, Bill Bryan Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, was interested in helping the effort. That prompted Saleena Chanan-Faulkner, internet sales manager for the Fruitland Park-based dealership, to pay a visit to the thrift store with a donation of $500.
“We want to let customers see that we are donating back to the community,” Chanan-Faulkner said. “We’re getting more involved with events and little things like this can go a long way.”
Chanan-Faulkner added that dealership is excited to play a role in bringing the unique swing to Rogers Park, which is located at 610 S 9th Street.
“It’s local to us so we know for a fact people are going to appreciate it when they see it,” she said. “We see it as a plus and a gain with customers and just a gain with knowing that we did something good at the end of the day.”
Stapleton said he was thrilled to receive the large donation.
“It is tremendous to have another business step up and want to care about the kids,” said Stapleton, who also was in the news in December when he and his wife, Debbie, scrambled to gather Christmas gifts and furniture for a Leesburg family that lost their home to a fire.
On Monday, Stapleton received another $500 donation from the Lake County Eagles Club, which gave him enough money to order the first swing. That will happen Wednesday and it should be delivered in four to six weeks.
But that also made Stapleton wonder if enough donations could be raised for a second swing. So with some commitments already made, he decided to keep the fundraiser going.
“I talked to the company that makes these and they said the swings can be attached,” he said.
Stapleton said he’s spoken with officials from the City of Leesburg and they’ve agreed to pour the concrete pad, install the swing, maintain it and hold a special ribbon-cutting event. And he added that he’s gotten a commitment from the Leesburg Police Department to keep an eye on the devices once they are in place at the park.
Those wishing to donate toward the second wheelchair swing can stop by Stapleton’s store at 1541 U.S. 441 in Leesburg. It is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and closed on Sunday. Residents also can mail checks to the store with the words “wheelchair swing” in the memo line.
