LIVONIA, Mich. – Local 4 viewers responded in a big way after a story about a Livonia man with a cognitive disorder who runs a landscaping business and had a problem with his equipment.
Eddie Roulo, 30, started a landscaping company after he had trouble finding work.
But his special cargo bike isn't strong enough to handle the weight of all his equipment, so it was frequently breaking down.
That didn't stop Roulo.
"Never give up," he said. "If you give up, you'll go nowhere."
He tried raising money himself through side jobs, bottle drives and more, but the community stepped up to help him after last week's story.
In a matter of days, viewers donated more than $6,500, which is enough for Roulo to get a new motorized bike built for heavier loads.
"I'm really happy now," Roulo said. "I was always keeping an eye on it."
A group of business owners thought the bike wasn't enough. Officials from D&B Landscaping, Nice Touch Landscape and Weingartz in Livonia helped him upgrade some of his other equipment, including a new trimmer, more robust accessories, oil and more. He received several thousands of dollars' worth of new gear.
You can watch Nick Monacelli's full story in the video posted above.