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No. 2 Vol. 8
www.theroxburynews.com
August 2016
Community Pulls Together To Raise The Roof For Five Year Old Boy
By Cheryl Conway hether it’s eating ice-cream, golfing, vending at a craft fair or simply wearing a t-shit, locals can pick from various fundraisers to support a home remodeling project that will help a local family. Levi Spencer of Succasunna was born with Spina bofida, a birth defect leaving him permanently paralyzed from the waist down. Up until the age of four, his parents could manage his care, but as he is getting older and bigger, taking care of Levi in their three-bedroom ranch is getting tight.
This past May, Levi’s parents- Jillian and Jason Spencer, kicked off a fundraising campaign called “Raising The Roof For Levi” in an effort to do just that. Their goal is to raise funds for some projects such as a larger bathroom, living space and equipment storage. “We are home remodeling for a second story,” says Jillian. “Up until now it’s been easy,” taking care of Levi, says Jillian. Last year they got him a wheelchair; he is able to get around with leg braces and walkers. But “carrying him is getting heavy; the bathroom is a two hour process. We need an ac-
cessible bathroom.” Jillian figured, “If we are doing a bathroom, we need to do this; it kind of escalated from there,” she says. The Spencers need things in their home that promote independence for Levi so he can have access to the bathroom and kitchen like a counter height wheelchair, roll in shower, changing station area and higher sink for a wheelchair to roll under so he can wash his hands , explains Jillian. They started fundraising in May when Levi turned four. For their kick-off they sold t-shirts with “Raising The Roof For Levi” logo on the back that were discounted by Dezine Line in Ledgewood; Rita’s Italian Ice hosted a fundraiser allocating proceeds to the Spencer’s campaign. During field day in June, third graders at Kennedy Elementary School in Succasunna, where Levi attends preschool, sold lemonade, raising $400 for Levi’s campaign.
“They just love Levi,” says Jillian of the students. “They see him in the hall, they said let’s see how we can support our friend.” One month prior, in May, one of the parents from Levi’s class who is the director of a Little Gym in Summit, hosted a fundraiser there offering open play and
music. She was able to raise $1,700 and allocated 100 percent of the proceeds to help the Spencer family, says Jillian. Another event was a music class with Merry Musicians at Horseshoe Lake in Succasunna; 100 percent raised from the children interactive music concert went
to Levi’s campaign, adds Jillian. Out of their $100,000 goal, the Spencers have already raised $13,000. “It’s very overwhelming,” says Jillian regarding all of the community support they have received so far. “We’re hesitant to reach out
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