This morning I woke up to an article in one of the papers up here that made me cry, Boy holding garage sale to buy dad a headstone. Blake McGinniss’ father passed away in March of 2009 and the family could not afford a headstone. Blake recently decided he wanted his father to have a headstone. He decided he was going to have a garage sale to sell his toys to buy his father the headstone.
When Tobei got home we were out running errands and I heard it on the radio. They were saying calls were coming in from as far as soldiers in Afghanistan wanting to help this little boy. We started talking about it and said we should go buy the cheapest toy Blake is selling and buy it for more than it is worth.
Tonight I am sitting here reading a forum I am a member on and read an update “Mammoth outpouring of support for nine year old”. A Toronto clothier, Tom Mihalic, owner of Tom’s Place had called the radio station and wanted to pay to have the headstone built. Michael Levitt, president of Benjamin’s Landmark Monuments in Toronto heard this call and called in offering to build the headstone. So Blake’s father is getting a headstone thanks to generous Canadians.
Not only is his father getting a headstone but people are still wanting to send money to Blake. His mother has set up a trust fund for him so that people can donate money to his college fund. Blake is also still going to go through with his garage sale and will now donate all money raised to charity.
I had to come share the story. I would love to meet Blake and give him a hug and buy one of his toys. What an amazing young man and what an amazing country I live in. Everyone has rallied together to help Blake get his father the headstone he deserves.