By Randy Wyrick — AVON — More than two decades ago, Mark Smith — the Smith in Slifer Smith & Frampton — was riding his bicycle when he spotted a bunch of kids doing … basically nothing. Smith kept riding, and started thinking.
His mental wheels turned as fast as his bicycle wheels, and before long, those wheels rolled around to the idea for an organization to help local kids. Other bike rides and meetings followed, checks were written and The Youth Foundation was born.
That was nearly 20 years ago: Oct. 7, 1997.