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Businesses make Christmas bright for kids
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Neighbors | Shaiyla Hakeem .Youngstown Cycle Supply Vice President Megan Stevens (left) and son, Marek, greeted everyone who dropped off donations for the "A Bright Idea for Market Street" project. Stevens, along with Boardman's Audio Extreme, will be collecting items through Christmas.
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Neighbors | Shaiyla Hakeem .Boardman Audio Extreme's Bob Lancey is happy to be collecting donations for the Akron Children's Hospital of the Mahoning Valley. This is the first year donations have been accepted for the "A Bright Idea for Market Street" project.
Two local business owners are challenging merchants to light Market Street up like a Christmas tree.
Boardman’s Youngstown Cycle Supply vice president Megan Stevens and Audio Extreme’s Bob Lancey have made a collaborative effort to put their project, “Brighten Up for the Kids” in full effect. The project features a light display challenge between business located on Market Street and a donation collection for Akron Children’s Hospital of the Mahoning County.
This is the second year the businesses have sponsored “Brighten Up for the Kids.”
“The economy was horrible last year and everybody was down. We just wanted to bring everyone’s spirits up,” Stevens explained.
The challenge is still on, but the stakes have risen. This year calls for local businesses not only to light up buildings, but donate gifts for sick children.
The Akron Children’s Hospital, located in the Beeghly Campus, features a pediatric medical transport helicopter called Air Bear. The sound of the helicopter delivering children to the facility can be heard in the surrounding businesses and it doesn’t go unnoticed.
“We hear that helicopter flying over all the time and we we’re thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, all those kids that have to be flown back and forth, they have to stay there over Christmas,’” Stevens explained. “That’s what sparked this whole thing.”
Items being accepted are coloring books, crayons, games, craft sets and books. Gifts are asked to be donated by Dec. 23, but will still be accepted through Jan. 7.
“It’s a great cause and a good way to touch the lives of children,” said Lancey.
Since some children have asthma and allergies, it is asked that nothing is gift wrapped and only the items being asked for may be accepted. The gifts will be delivered to the hospital Dec. 23.
“The hospital will use the donations as a gift to send home with the kids or something to keep them occupied while they are staying there,” Stevens said.
The light display challenge began Nov. 26 and will continue through Jan. 7. Stevens said some children at the hospital are able to walk around the premises and she wants them to feel as much of the holiday spirit from the surrounding area as possible.
“For the kids that can get out, at least they can come and see the lights and feel the holiday season,” Stevens said.