Thanks to the kind efforts of community members, the holidays are a little bit brighter for a Calumet Park family who lost their father earlier this year.
Earlier this year, Derrick Gholston was killed when he tried to stop two armed robbers who stormed into a Roseland barber shop in September.
Gholston, a beloved food truck operator, was the father of two young boys, and on Sunday the community gathered together to try to lift their spirits during a trying time of the year.
“Just hearing this story and understanding what their little ones are going through, it’s going to take people to step up, such as myself and my staff,” W&W Towing owner Early Walker said.
With the help of Santa Claus and a group of helpers, Walker and his staff delivered more than $2,000 worth of gifts to Gholston’s family this weekend.
“I was not expecting anything this big at all,” Gholston’s widow Lakeisha said, wiping away tears. “The last three months have been so challenging. Every day the boys talk about their dad and this is just making Christmas more exciting.”
Walker and his staff are trying not only to ease the financial burden on the Gholston family, but to brighten their spirits too.
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“I know dad is in the heavens smiling down, and you guys did it for him,” Lakeisha said. “I really appreciate it. I really do.”
