Local entrepreneur and cancer survivor gives back to those who need it

One local entrepreneur and cancer survivor is giving hope to children who desperately need it during the holidays.

As a cancer survivor, Zack Rushing is one who knows all too well how important support can be in a sensitive period in life and he is sharing that experience with children at a hospital in Mobile during the Christmas holidays.

“We lost count after like 4,000 on the toys, but I can tell you the monetary value is upwards between 25 and $30,000 worth of toys in these two trailers that were taking over their day,” said Rushing.

Before departing for Mobile with the toys, he filled two trailers full that he said should bring priceless smiles on Christmas Day.

Zack partnered with Kevin Riley of Dad’s Super Pawn Shop three years ago after his third bout of cancer to fulfill his purpose to inspire hope in those whose shoes he was once in.

“How it affected me as a grown man at the time I just thought about how it was affecting them. And in my mind, you can’t motivate a child the same way that you can motivate an adult,” said Rushing. “So I come up with an idea when I was driving back from chemo one day and I said, you know what, I’m going to figure out a way to get these kids some toys where they want to wake up the next day. They want to wake up for one more day because that’s all we really searching for out of this me and Mr. Kevin.”

Zack and Kevin, along with friends and family, help raise funds throughout the year to deliver to children at the South Alabama Health Children’s and Women’s Hospital in Mobile.

“Every time I unload a toy off one of these trailers I just imagine the smile on that kid’s face on Christmas morning. When they didn’t think Santa was coming this year because a lot of them families, they tell the kids hey, look, you got to get better,” said Rushing. “Santa is not coming this year because they’re strapped for cash. They’re not going to have a good Christmas. I just imagine the smiles first thing Christmas morning and that’s enough for me right there.”

As for how the kids choose their prize:

“We bring the toys over and we give it to the nurses they make it into a like a Santa’s Workshop type deal,” said Rushing. “They put it in a big room and on Christmas morning the kids get to come through and pick whatever they want whatever tickles their fancy, there’s no limit on how many they can get.”

For Zack, he wants those children to know they are not alone and can get past the cancer.

“Very blessed and we just we really just want to give back and let somebody else out there and know that they’re not alone in this world even though sometimes it may feel like they are.”