It was a very different and creative way to connect with trade show attendees – and to raise money for a local charity.

Wilson Orr, owner of ProLift Garage Doors, wanted to do something different at his booth at the recent Katy Home & Outdoor Living Show at the Merrell Center on August 23-24. Not only did he want to find a way to stand out to the attendees of the home show, but he wanted to raise money for a local nonprofit.

He asked attendees to pose for a selfie with him at his booth – and then made a donation to Dream Rydes for every one of the selfies posted to Facebook.

“For the past few years I’ve been trying to find new ways to give to local charities, but being a small local business, I don’t have a lot of funds to do so,” Orr told the Katy Times. “I volunteer my time when I can, but I know that what these non-profits really need is fundraising. So, I figured if I could ask the community to post a picture with me in my big ProLift hat, and by doing so I would make a donation to a local charity.”

Wilson said that about a dozen people took advantage of the offer, resulting in a donation of $230.00 to the group. “I never had one person turn me down,” he said.

Dream Rydes helps kids with cancer get transportation to their radiation and chemo treatments free of charge. To learn more, visit www.dreamrydes.org.