Business owners give back to the community

Sportsman Pub owners April Bland and Jeff Lehman were nominated as Difference Makers for the work they have done through their business to help support the community.

The couple was nominated by Caleb Dunkerly.

“April and Jeff are two really good people in the City of Linton. I am glad I have known them for a long time and I can call them my friends. They will do anything they can to help out people who need it,” Dunkerly said in his nomination form.

Bland has worked for Sportsman Pub for 20 years, and the couple took ownership of the business three years ago. Since then, Bland said it has been important for them to use their resources to help others.

“I see and hear people talking about all the problems in our community and never do anything to help, sometimes it’s the little things that help the most. Sometimes it’s just a pair of socks for the kid with holes in his shoes playing on the playground in the snow,” Bland said.

“I do what I do because I can finally give back! I’ve been a single mom all my life and I know how hard it can be trying to raise kids with only one paycheck buying school supplies, gloves hats are sometimes just not in everyone’s budget. And when I see kids coming from a home where drugs are and they’re hungry have holes in their shoes, no socks it breaks my heart. I’ve lived here my entire life and want to help as many kids not feel ashamed of being hungry or needing something I can help with.”

One of the many projects Bland said they are proud of is sponsoring the Blessing Boxes of Linton.

“We were the first official sponsors of the Blessing Box almost a year and since then we’ve did it the second time hoping to get more businesses around the area to follow us and help the community,” Bland said.

But, that is just the tip of the iceberg on their giving.

“We have done school supply drives the last two years for Linton School I’ve done a socks, hats and glove drive for the school for two years, and we paid for a bench to honor Madi and we’ve donated to many sports and other fundraisers for the community.”

Dunkerly noted in his nomination form that in addition to these drives helping students, it also helps the teachers.

“They host a back to school supply drive every year before school starts back up to help out students who do not get new supplies every year. Also, these supplies help save the teachers’ money in they do not have to spend their own money on these items as what is left gets donated to the teachers for their supply ‘stash’,” Dunkerly said.