SLAM DUNK FOR KINDNESS

Westerville Public Service Team Donates Hoop to Local Child

One doesn’t enter a career in public service without a strong pull toward customer service and doing things “right.” It’s part of the culture at the City of Westerville, and the community has come to expect it. While it’s not uncommon for stories of “above-and-beyond” actions to work their way through City Hall like a pleasant game of telephone, one tale of kindness captured hearts in the community first on social media.

One afternoon in May, Westerville Public Service team members Jose Alicea, Kenneth Roe and Benjamin Rohrey observed a young resident playing with a makeshift basketball hoop made of a plastic crate, wood and a bucket.

Moved by the boy’s situation, the team purchased a basketball hoop, assembled and installed it for him. Photos posted to social media show the recipient of the gift with a beaming smile next to his brand new hoop.

The story made the rounds on social media, eliciting comments ranging from thankfulness for their gesture to feeling proud to live in a community where kindness is so deep-rooted.

Alicia, Roe and Rohrey didn’t work out of self-interest or for accolades. They saw an opportunity to help and they did it “right.”