VERO BEACH — Ron Jackson was shopping at Wal-mart and overheard a mom with three children who wanted a stick scarecrow. The children had lost their father and the family couldn’t afford the scarecrows, instead spending their money on food.
Jackson, a retired volunteer firefighter from New York, bought the scarecrows for the kids and this gave him an idea to hand out 100 scarecrows to local kids at the Publix on 12 Avenue and US 1.
He gave them out Monday and Tuesday and planned to buy 50 more and hand them out as well.
“People just can’t believe it,” said Jackson.
Milia Pfeiffer, 4, was one lucky girl to receive one of the scarecrows.
“I’ll hear all about it when I get home,” said her dad, Tim. “I’m sure she’ll be playing with it.”
Jackson also plans to buy some for the ladies of Vista Gardens where he lives.
“You’re a good guy dad,” said his daughter during a recent phone call when he was handing the scarecrows out.
One woman he met told him, “Love and kindness can’t be seen, it must be felt,” a quote from Helen Keller, Jackson recounted.
