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PLEASANT GROVE – A Utah teen who had been bullied and was the target of vandalism for years has been showered with love and help from community members and local athletes.
The Holdaway home in Pleasant Grove underwent a transformation Friday as Vivint Smart Home employees moved in and out of the house, installing a security system.
Seth Holdway said his family’s home on the corner has been vandalized for years — eggs thrown at their house, cars covered in mustard and mayonnaise, vulgar images painted on their fence and several fence slats kicked in and destroyed.
“We put (the pictures) on social media because we wanted to find out who had done it and we wanted it to stop,” he said.
Holdway said his son Luc received the worst of it. His car was targeted several times — most recently, it was covered in horse manure on Luc’s birthday.
“When you’re turning 17, that’s not the kind of attention you want to get,” Seth Holdaway said.
The photos posted online through social media and a KSL TV story sparked a call for action for people and organizations to step forward and make it right.
This Pleasant Grove teen woke up on his birthday to find his car covered in horse manure. His father says the vandalism has gone on for years and HAS to stop. Hear from him on @KSL5TV at 6pm #ksllivepic.twitter.com/PcliM1OrZm
— Ashley Kewish (@ashleykewish) November 11, 2019
First, officials from the Lindon and Pleasant Grove police departments worked together to catch those involved in the horse manure incident.
Then, a series of companies and local influencers and athletes reached out.
Utah Jazz players Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell brought Luc out to a game. After warming up for the game, Mitchell took the shoes he was practicing in and gifted them to Luc.
Later in the week, a local car wash company contacted the family, offering free washes for an entire year.
“The car washes are definitely a welcome thing,” Holdaway said.
The whole experience has been a little overwhelming for the shy teen, who preferred that his father pass on his message of thanks on Friday.
“His number one message is a thank you for the heartfelt love,” Holdaway said. “He also wants to move it forward and help people who have had much worse situations we did so we can make the community a better place.”
Now, the Holdaways said they will no longer worry about their house or cars being targeted.
“If somebody comes into our neighborhood and they want to commit a crime, we’re going to catch them,” Holdaway said with a smile.
The house may be transforming the outside, but sometimes the greatest change can happen on the inside.
“Luc’s big push now is how he can turn this whole thing into something positive,” Holdaway said.
