Mark Whitaker’s daughter knows Justin Gilstrap, the 11-year-old Grovetown boy who was severely injured by three pit bulls last month, which is why one of his Harlem businesses is holding a fundraiser to benefit Gilstrap and his family.
Whitaker owns Main Street Treats, a family ice cream shop located at 170 North Louisville St. The shop will host Scoops for Justin today from 3:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. He said the business will donate at least 10 percent of its proceeds from that fundraiser to the family.
“My daughter is a teacher at Euchee Creek (Elementary School), where Justin goes to school,” Whitaker said, “hosting events for the community and giving back are nothing new for Main Street Treats.”
The business regularly holds events for local organizations, such as the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Pop Warner, as well as church groups. He invites organizations to contact him about sponsoring fundraisers.
“We generally do tons of Spirit Nights and host concerts throughout the year,” Whitaker said. “We just enjoy doing for the community in general,” he said.
In addition to Main Street Treats, Whitaker also owns Whitaker Electric, his main business, which employs about 40 electricians. His daughters run the day-to-day operations at the ice cream shop.
“I mop the floors and order ice cream,” he said.
ABD previously ran a story about a team of local businesses, including Sol Himalayan Salt Cave & Spa, which also hosted a fundraiser for Gilstrap and his family.
For more information about Main Street Treats and how you can help, visit the business’s Facebook page or call 706-533-3489.
