Ezequel Ceant (Lacrosse, Pfeiffer University) grew up in Vero Beach. HelloNation asks student athletes one question about the place that raised them and records the answer on camera. This is Ezequel Ceant’s, in full.
The question
Name three small business owners in your community who have had a meaningful impact on others or inspired you personally. Who are they, and why do they stand out as a pillar of your community?
The answer, as recorded
Transcript. What follows is a transcript of the video above, in Ezequel Ceant’s own words. It has not been rewritten, and no part of it was drafted for them.
These are three small business owners that have impacted the community and myself in tremendous ways, becoming pillars of Vera Beach, Florida. The first one is John Hayne. He's the owner of Tasty O Donuts. He's been around since 1971 and he's located right next to Vera Beach High School, which in high school, that's the spot you want to go to for breakfast. I remember every day getting up as early as I could so I could go get breakfast and have his fresh donuts, fresh breakfasts that he offers. And he makes it all in the same morning with his family, which is amazing. He's been doing this since 1971. That just shows you how much he cares about serving the people of Vera Beach, Florida, which is the same type of feeling I want to have towards my business. I want to have longevity just like he has. And I think him offering fresh food every single day is a testimony to how much he cares about quality and how much he cares about the people he's serving. The next person I'd like to mention is Ryan Leatherman. When I left for college, he started a business called Major Hook, which is a boat detailing business, which I felt is a no-brainer because we didn't have stuff like that before I left for college. And being a beach town, a lot of people have boats, so I felt like it was a no-brainer. And him being able to provide a service for people when there wasn't one before just seemed like something that I wanted to be able to embody with my own business. The third one is someone I know personally, John Carton, the owner of Carton Construction. And there's multiple reasons why he's a pillar of the community. He donates to the school, he donates to lacrosse teams, and he also helped me along my journey. And I just feel like him being able to offer a service, which is fixing and renovating and building houses to the entire community, but he's also involved, extremely involved in youth programs and events. And I just feel like that's the type of person I want to be as well. Not just sticking to fixing and being a part of my business, but also being able to reach out and help where I can. These are three business owners that are pillars of the community for vast different reasons. Going back to John Hayne, he's been here since 1971 serving the best donuts in Bear Beach, Florida. Quality over quantity. Going back to Ryan Leatherman, Major Hook, honestly an amazing name, and he's fulfilling a purpose for people who need it. And last but not least, John Carton, Carton Construction. Not only building, but help building the community.
Recorded by HelloNation as part of its athlete voices program and published by Hello Newswire, HelloNation’s good news newswire. The words are the speaker’s own.
Reported by Hello Newswire.