Stuart Thurlow discusses his new stall and how it felt when he saw it.
A Rotorua boy's generosity and hard work has captured the hearts of people in the community who wanted to return the spirit of giving back.
Stuart Thurlow, 11, spent part of his September/October school holiday making a difference at Westbrook School. Stuart is in Year 6. He decided his school might need some money.
The grand total he donated was $101.20 which he raised by selling toys and books he no longer needs at a stand outside his house.
Local Icon Construction builder Dallas James has built Stuart a bright, colourful stall for his selling endeavours.
Rotorua artist Warren Houston also painted a colourful sign.
(From left) Warren Houston, Stuart Thurlow and Dallas James with the new stall. Photo / Shauni James
"It will be great for him to have a proper little stall to call his own. His current stand still looks cool, but I thought a proper stall would be great for him."
When Dallas delivered the new stall to Stuart's home, he had also stocked it up with items for Stuart to keep and sell.
Stuart thinks his new stall is amazing and it was bigger than he expected.
When he found out the stall was being made for him, "I was just like wow, this is crazy. I was speechless".
He likes that his new stall has a hanging sign rather than a cardboard one so it won't fly off, and that the colours from his original sign were used.
Stuart also likes that it has his school colours incorporated and how it has compartments for certain things.
"I like that it's bright and will hopefully attract people.
"It's really amazing. I didn't expect it to have this nice roof."
Warren Houston says when Dallas told him what he was doing and Stuart's story, he thought the stall was a brilliant idea.
He then told Dallas he could make a sign for the stall and would try and do it in a similar style to Stuart's cardboard sign.
