Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and there is much to be thankful for. No matter how you choose to spend your holiday, we hope you reflect on those who have made your smile just a little wider this year. Here at Outdoorsy, our owners and renters have us grinning from ear to ear.
We also know how important it is to pay it forward and give others a reason to smile and be thankful. The heartwarming stories below provide wonderful examples of how Outdoorsy owners just like you have helped enrich the lives of others, giving them feelings of gratitude and memories that last forever.
A Surprise Reunion
Recently Tim Buckingham was contacted with an unusual rental request he simply couldn’t turn down. An enthusiastic customer Crystal was looking to surprise her mother-in-law with a reunion surrounded by her best friends. Crystal didn’t want just any reunion, as she wanted to make her mom feel as special as she made everyone else feel. In her book, that meant a day galavanting around town in style — style being Tim’s RV. “She knew her mother-in-law hadn’t seen some friends for many years, and thought that my RV would be a good way to reunite them,” said Buckingham.
You can imagine the surprise on the mother-in-law’s face when Crystal showed up for their lunch date in Tim’s RV. Of course, the surprise only got better when the door was opened to reveal that Crystal was fully armed with colorful wigs, custom t-shirts, and a motorhome full of new friends.
The reunited friends had a blast as Crystal chauffeured them around Central Michigan. They laughed and chatted about new times for many miles, stopping their talk occasionally as they admired the gorgeous changing colors of the leaves (almost as bright as their rainbow hued wigs).
The reunion was a huge hit, leaving everyone with some amazing new memories. “I gave Crystal a cheap rate because for me it wasn’t about the money. It was about being able to help her say ’thank you’ to her wonderful mother-in-law!” Buckingham said.
Traveling in Spirit
JoVanna Kingkade is more than happy to deliver her RV. She sets it up for renters, making sure they are ready and equipped to have a great time before she leaves.
During one particular delivery and set up, luggage was being carried in when JoVanna accidentally knocked over a 35mm film canister. As she bent down to pick the canister up, she jokingly said, “Wow! People still use 35 film?” The customer promptly replied that the canister held not film, but her sister’s ashes.
“She said she takes the ashes with her when she goes to places her sister would have enjoyed and sprinkles a little of her there.” said JoVanna.
JoVanna was able to provide her RV to a woman when it mattered most — spreading her sister’s spirit in all the best places along the open road.
The Young CEO
Jack Shoemaker is a 20-year-new college drop out. However, that doesn’t mean he is unsuccessful. In fact, quite the opposite is true, and this young man is well on his way to becoming a CEO in his twenties (paging Bill Gates anyone?).
When Jack decided college wasn’t for him, he jumped right into the family RV rental business and took it upon himself to learn the ropes. He has been his father’s shadow for the past year and has gained impressive skills in RV maintenance as well as business, customer service, and communications. Most would say he’s turned out to be a pretty amazing businessman.
Jack is the perfect example of successfully going against the grain and following your dreams, but more than that he is the apple of his mother’s eye. “I am so proud of my son for the endless hours he spends working, the days he spends in the blistering summer heat washing campers and prepping them for renter turnarounds, the deliveries he makes, and the miles and miles he puts on his truck.” gushed his mom, Amy Shoemaker. “Without Jack Shoemaker our business would not be where it is today.”
Jack and the other owners in these stories have given so many people reasons to be thankful. As an Outdoorsy owner, you also have the power to give someone something great to be thankful for. In fact, you’ve probably already done just that…whether you know it or not.
Thank you Outdoorsy owners, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
