Today’s good news story comes from the Good News Network. Here it is complete.
Man Spells Out ‘Hi Kevin’ in Lights for 20 Years–to Honor His Neighbor
Every Christmas, Mike Witmer gets out his colored lights to weave a very specific message out into the night.
Witmer says passersby are sometimes confused by his lights, which read ‘Hi Kevin’ across his roof, but it’s to honor the memory of a young boy who passed away from cancer in 2010.
For the past two decades, he has featured a reference to Kevin in his light displays. Kevin was diagnosed with cancer in 2002 when he was just 11. That year Mike had written ‘Get Well Kevin’ in lights.
The pair had lived on neighboring roads, and Kevin had loved seeing Mike’s light displays each December.
He continued to reference the lad in his lights every year until his tragic death eight years later in June 2010.
Mike vowed to honor Kevin’s life by continuing their much-loved tradition of installing his largest display yet on his roof so that Kevin could still see the lights from above.
“Kevin was a cool kid in the neighborhood. He swam on the local swim team with my kids, and we all became friends,” said Witmer from Gaithersburg, Maryland.
“When I heard he had cancer and was going through chemo and radiotherapy, I wanted to support him. I had this idea to write ‘Get Well Kevin’ in my Christmas lights—what 11-year-old doesn’t want to see their name in lights?”
Witmer continued to do it every year, even after his cancer went into remission and Kevin went off to college.
“But he had just finished his first year of college when the cancer came back—and it took him,” he recalled. “I told everyone to come by that year, and the ‘Hi Kevin’ would be bigger so he can see it from up in heaven.”
“This is my 20th anniversary of the tribute to Kevin, and I’ll keep doing it every year as long as I’m able.”
Kevin’s mother told Witmer that Kevin loved the display so much that he had asked if it would be done every year.
“I thought, ‘how could I not?’ and the tradition was born,” he said.
Every year after that, Mike would find some way to display a tribute to Kevin in his lights display, placing it in a different spot for Kevin to find, like a game of Where’s Waldo.
He recently shared the sweet story of his and Kevin’s relationship in a Facebook post, which was shared widely and attracted thousands of likes and comments by people touched by his tribute.
The good news here is this man brought cheer to someone very much in need. Today’s JohnKu talks about those in need. I hope you have a Joyous Holiday.
Cheer by John W.Howell 2023
It might be something,
Very small that cheers a heart. . .
Don’t miss the good deed.
