COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – A central Ohio man has donated hundreds of fans from his collection to help neighbors in need keep cool despite high temperatures.
Bill Galloway, of Columbus, began collecting fans in 1999 and amassed about 1,000 of them, packing the items into his garage. When spring arrived with unseasonably high temperatures, he decided there were others who needed the working fans more than he did.
“It’s very simple,” Galloway told WCMH-TV. “I said, ‘Are you going to use this? No, you’re not.’ So out (the fans) went.”
Since the spring, Galloway has donated about 600 fans—all in working order—to his church’s food pantry so they could be distributed to people who could use them. The recipients are warned to keep the fans away from children because they don’t have modern safety features.
Food pantry volunteer Phyllis Taylor said as soon as one load of fans was distributed, Galloway would bring more.
“They would disappear and the next day there would be another table full of fans,” Taylor said. “I’ve seen him shed a tear over some of the stories that he’s heard and people with the thanks that they give him.”
Galloway, 70, said he has kept about 300 fans for himself, including one that dates to 1912 and still operates.
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Information from: WCMH-TV, http://www.nbc4i.com
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
AP-WF-06-21-12 1448GMT
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