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Advertising in a unique way

Young Sooke entrepreneur saw a need in the community and filled it.
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Entrepreneur Evan Reid

A young man has taken it upon himself to offer Sooke businesses and event organizers a unique approach to promotion.

Evan Reid, 22, was concealed in clothing fit for the temperamental  West Coast weather. He sat in his mobilized wheel chair brandishing a promotional sign for Pizzability on West Coast and Otter Point Roads.

The only signature of his youthful vitality were a pair of wayfarer sunglasses with a neon trim tucked into the zipper of his coat.

The part-time job is merely the cusp of Reid’s venture to help local businesses promote their companies, as he hopes to acquire more clients.  He has previously helped advertise the Sooke Fall Fair and a local floral shop.

Prior to being commissioned for paid promotional work, Reid donated his time to different community projects and events.

“I actually kind of fell into this line of work about three years back,” Reid said, adding it’s now a job he loves. His motorized wheelchair gives him the ability to wheel around town, tote signs and hand out business cards to build awareness for his client’s companies.

Cerebal palsy -- a movement disorder that can affect brain and nervous system functions -- is the condition Reid has built his new career around. Afflicted since birth, Reid has been confined to a wheelchair his entire life, except for a brief period when he was seven-years-old, where he stood on his own two feet. Although the condition may have proved to be an impediment for others, it has done little to alter Reid’s life, who poignantly proclaimed life is far too short.

“I’ve learned how to live with it. I figured out ways to live my life without it bothering me,” Reid said, adding sometimes he forgets he even has the motor condition.

“You know, I’m just that kind of person who likes to help people,” he said. “It also feels so good when you help out someone really in need of something, whether you’re getting paid or doing it as a favour.”

The young man’s altruistic personality is matched by his hard-working attitude.

“He does a great job. He’s more than reliable, he’s out there rain or shine,” Brown said. “I had concerns about him (in the rain), but he insisted that it’s a non-issue,” said Clive Brown, owner of Pizzability.

“Evan is an amazing person, it’s a true pleasure to spend any time with him...he has an incredible outlook on life,” he said.

Reid said he tries to serve as a role model for others with disabilities who may think they can’t do something because their condition doesn’t permit them to.

“I do believe everyone has something to offer in their lives,” Reid said.

Anyone interested in contracting Reid for work can contact him through: joker3@live.ca