TWIN LAKE, Mich – A place to play. Public parks are generally good for almost everyone in their youthful exuberance. Riley Schropp enjoys his time in the park, but there is one thing that bothers him.
He doesn't like the fact that some of his friends, like Danielle Fye, can’t play and have the same amount of fun as he does at the playground. So he's doing something about it.
Fye is confined to a wheelchair, so fun time at the Twin Lake County Park isn't as fun of a time. "It's been horrible," says Fye’s mother, "There's nothing for her to play on. So, she just sits and watches everybody."
Schropp is done just watching, "I want them to be able to do the stuff we can. And they can't. So I want to do something for them."
He recently saw a friend in a wheelchair at school who had a steel swing box. "And I thought we should get one for the park."
"And his first thought was, 'Well, let's buy them one!'" says Riley’s step mother Morgan.
Morgan is now helping him with a Go Fund Me page to raise the money needed for the box swing. But, to swing that, they'll need some help. "We need about $2,800."
Riley doesn't know how long it'll take, but, eventually, he wants this park, that hugs the lake for which it's named, to be a place he, and anyone else - including Danielle can enjoy, "It'd be great."
"Because we'd love - as a family - to come to the park and stay at the park; having something like that would be wonderful because we could stay longer."
Schropp adds "I want to help the kids to have fun at this park that can't."
"He doesn't even care if he gets a thank you.” Morgan says, “That's my little boy. I'm just really proud of him."
Riley Schropp and his quest for a box swing for Danielle and his other friends. Today's One Good Thing. And if you're interested, check out his GoFundMe page.
If you have a One Good Thing you'd like to submit - someone or something that makes West Michigan a good place to live - email me at OneGoodThing@WZZM13.com.
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