This week, the Benton mug, filled with Hairbender blend, sits at a table in the café front window, with flowers and cards at Dog River Coffee.
Kirby Neumann-ReaDon Benton found, and created, community in many ways, including his beloved Dog River Coffee.
Routinely, Benton would spend an hour or more at the coffeeshop, meeting with friends or fellow board members (who were usually both) and on more occasions than anyone can count, Benton put up $100 to cover the coffee for all-comers.
When word got out Benton had a setback, café staffers visited him in the hospital and gave him his regular’s mug.
This week, the Benton mug, filled with Hairbender blend, sits at a table in the café front window, with flowers and cards.
“We started it Wednesday morning by paying it forward and buying coffee for people for a few hours, just as Don would do so many times,” said owner Nate DeVol.
“Another customer came in Thursday and said, ‘I want to do it both Friday and Saturday morning.’”
DeVol noted that coffee was just an extension of what Don Benton was about.
“I’m hoping people will pick up the mantel of being involved in civic organizations,” DeVol said, “maybe get that in mind — that it isn’t easy to get people to get out of their schedules to do things. The people involved in the organizations he’s been involved with will continue, but it would be nice to get new people involved. Hopefully people will follow the lead. We remind our staff that, when out in the public, pay it forward once in a while.”
— Kirby Neumann-Rea
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