The franchisees of a McDonald’s restaurant in Florida decided to bring an extraordinary amount of holiday cheer to one particular family in the community.
The family’s autistic son, now 15 years old, has been drawing the golden arches prolifically ever since he was a young child.
Tim and Tracy Johnstone first became acquainted with Devon in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael’s destruction of the Panama City McDonald’s building where they worked.
Tiffany Winters, Devon’s mother, had taken to social media in the hopes that someone could salvage the iconic “golden arches” from the wreckage of the hurricane so that she could gift them to her son.
“When we heard about Devon’s story and his love for the golden arches, we knew we had to do something special for him and his family,” said McDonald’s Owner/Operators Tim and Tracy Johnstone, who own seven restaurants, four of which are in Panama City.
Tim and Tracy Johnstone own seven McDonald’s restaurants in total, four of which are located in Panama City.
Not only did they hand over the iconic golden arch signage that was salvaged from the disaster, but they also gave Devon the opportunity to work at his neighborhood McDonald’s for a day.
“Our team felt a lot of emotions after Hurricane Michael two years ago, and to be able to turn around that fear and grief when the golden arches came down and make that into a celebration for such a deserving kid makes this really special to us,” said Tracy.
“Our team was able to turn around that fear and grief when the golden arches came down and make that into a celebration for such a deserving kid makes this really special to us.”
Therefore, they continued to communicate with the teenager and had the intention of making his holiday season exceptionally memorable this year, “exactly like that day.”
The owners of the restaurant gave the family members a brand new car as a pleasant surprise on Wednesday.
The family members live forty miles outside of any town. Devon’s ability to attend school, as well as any medical or therapy appointments, will be ensured by the car.
The words of Brent Winters, Devon’s father, after he heard his daughter’s accomplishment: “This is so far above and beyond.” “To get a car while we’re in such dire straits is going to completely transform our life.”
In addition, there were presents for Devon, such as a plethora of artistic materials. You can view a video here that covers the local news.
The Johnstone family expressed their belief that “in a year of tremendous challenges, we’re reminded of how an act of kindness can inspire one another.”
“It was truly such an honor to watch Devon’s face light up when he saw his presents, and to know that we could help him and his family meant everything,” Devon’s mother said.
“It was genuinely such an honor to see his face light up when he received his gifts.”
“You hear about all the bad things that happen in the world. You don’t often hear about the positive tales in the news,” Brent continued. “Consequently, it’s great to be a part of one.”