WYOMING, Mich. — A Wyoming grocery store is stepping up for a local dad this Father's Day weekend, covering the cost of his cookout and surprising him with a brand-new grill as the price of meat and groceries continues to climb.
Marcus Larsen is a father of 5 who drives for a living, traveling hours on end to pay for his family. So any chance he gets to get his family together is a special one, and that's why Father's Day is meaningful to him.
"I'm a father, and I haven't always been the best person, and my kids see who I am," Larsen said.
But celebrating in this economy can be a source of stress, putting extra pressure on the wallet.
"I know my kids would like to provide that for me, but they're young and they can't provide that for me, and so I would provide it," Larsen said.
Big Top Super Market in Wyoming decided to change that. The store surprised Larsen with a fully covered Father's Day barbecue — a moment that left him emotional.
For Larsen, who spends long hours on the road, the gesture means more than just food.
"I get to breathe," Larsen said. " It's less hours I have to work to cover it. It's less time away from my family. I get more time with my family because of it."
Big Top owner Chris Yelda said his customers are like family, and he sees firsthand how rising prices are affecting the people who shop at his store.
"A lot of times we see the people that get off work and that come in here and shop for their family after they had a long day at work, and we talked to them, and we know that the inflation in the country right now is at an all-time high, so people can't afford the same amount of groceries, meat, and produce as they did years ago," Yelda said.
The free groceries were only part of the surprise. The store also presented Larsen with a new grill, to cook up the food he just got!
Larsen said he was overwhelmed by the generosity. And when he fires up his new grill this Father's Day weekend, he said he will carry the kindness of his neighbors at Big Top with him.
"I was already grateful for everything they've done for me before the phone call they gave me, and then to do all of this on top of it, just who they are, or for their community, for their friends, for their people," Larsen said.
But giving back doesn't stop there for Big Top Market, the store is also holding a Father's Day weekend sale, taking a loss on many products, to help the community during this time.
