OGDEN, Utah — For Quarbin DeGroshe, a 21-year-old from Duchesne County with Down syndrome, the ferris wheel at Lagoon is a clear favorite.
This year, he set out with a goal — not just to make it to the popular Utah amusement park for Utah Down Syndrome Foundation Day on Aug. 1, but to help someone else with Down syndrome get there too.
“He wants to be able to buy a ticket for someone that might not be able to afford to go from the Down Syndrome Foundation that we're a member of on Facebook,” Quarbin’s godmother Angela Wigger said. “So we'll just put a message out there to somebody that might not be able to go normally, and we'll take someone them.
DeGroshe stays with his godmother every summer. This is the second time this young fundraiser has set up shop in front of her house.
“He lives with his sister in Duchesne part of the time, and then comes out here for summertime,” Wiggers added. “I was just basically his mom's best friend, and when she passed away, I kind of took over taking care of him during the summer and things like that.”
For customers like Jennifer Summers, DeGroshe’s lemonade stand is more than just a fundraiser — it’s a heartwarming reminder of kindness and community spirit.
“They're just a great family, and we're just here to support him,” Summers added. “I hope he makes it to Lagoon.”
At the end of the afternoon, DeGroshe made it to his goal of $190 to get himself and a friend to Lagoon.
“Quarbin is just one of the good souls in the world,” Wiggers said. “I feel like, and he doesn't even know what bad things are. So his heart is just so pure that it just makes him extra special.”
Anyone who would like to donate to help Quarbin can Venmo his godmother at @angela-wigger.
