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‘Gile Smile’ honors community members

T-R photo by Anna Shearer Owner of It’s Unique Floral Boutique April McKibbin, left, and employee Abbey Landas put together bouquets in the 13th St. shop on Wednesday.

It’s Unique Floral Boutique has found a special way to honor the memory of a beloved member of the Marshalltown community.

The floral boutique runs a program called Gile Smile in which the shop gives a bouquet every week to someone who has been nominated as deserving recognition. The program was started to honor Chad Gile and began about a month after he died.

The 36-year-old Marshalltown man was in a motorcycle accident on March 10, 2017. He is survived by his wife Christina Gile and children, Raylee and Ryder.

April McKibbin, owner of It’s Unique Floral Boutique, decided to honor his memory because of her close connection with Gile and his family.

“Chad’s just one of those guys that never made you feel awkward. He was everybody’s friend,” she said. “If he saw you struggle, it didn’t matter who you were. He could’ve never met you a day in his life, but he would go help you.”

Gile

McKibbin also seeks to use the program to spread positivity and gratitude throughout the community.

“Some people do things without any recognition, and we just want to show them that good deeds don’t go unseen,” she said.

McKibbin said the reasons for nomination vary.

“At first it was a lot of people who helped the family transition in their sorrow and their time of loss,” she said.

It is common for children to nominate their mothers, though sometimes the circumstances are a little more unusual. McKibbin said one nomination was for someone who gave an organ to a family member.

The response has been very positive. While McKibbin said it slowed down for a bit during the last couple years, the nominations have begun to pour back in.

“It’s really picked back up in the last 6 months, I would say,” she said.

McKibbin encourages people to continue to submit nominations on the website.

“We never want the program to die,” she said. “It’s really just to help his children know what a legacy he has in our community.”

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Contact Anna Shearer at 641-753-6611 or ashearer@timesrepublican.com.

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