I moved here in ’85 and was doing paint and lettering on the side. I had just finished a sign for the convenience store located where The Sign Shoppe is now. He offered me space at a good rate, big enough for me to do custom vehicle work. I rented more and more of the building, and then finally the bank took a risk on me, and I took the jump.

I knocked on a lot of doors, the business grew, and I added onto the building. It’s been a team effort all the way. My wife Shawnna does customer service and some painting. Twenty-seven years ago, I hired Michele Grantham, and two years later, her friend Bridget Holder, both students at UNCW, and they’ve been with me ever since! They’re like extended family; we’ve watched both date and get married — it’s Michele Godley and Bridget Cox now — and their children call us Papa and ShaSha. John Noblitt is an important part of our team, too.

Around 1990, my parents said it was time for me to give back to the community. Well, I rode a Harley, and had been on a toy run. I thought it was great but wished I could see who the toys go to. I thought another option might be to have people donate money and then take the kids shopping to let them pick out their toys. That idea became the Brunswick County Toy Run. My customers contributed, and the first year, 1992, we raised $1,000 and gave $100 each to 10 children. They could spend half on necessities, and half on toys.

This is a giving county; people want to help each other. And watching the kids pick out toys — and the smiles on the escorts’ faces as they help the kids — it’s really something!

For the first year we wanted to make a statement, so 25 biker-friends agreed to ride 100 miles in the county. It turned out to be 28 degrees that day, but everyone showed up! We ended up at Walmart, and the kids went shopping and we paid the bill.

We’ve kept growing and now we’re helping well over 200 children each year, at $200 per child. We get the names of the families from schools, churches, anyone who notices a need. The support from the community has grown each year as well, and that is humbling. We’re a 501(c)(3) with an excellent volunteer board. We’ve held fundraisers, and had the same companies and groups support us over and over.

This is a giving county; people want to help each other. And watching the kids pick out toys — and the smiles on the escorts’ faces as they help the kids — it’s really something!