CAPE CORAL, Fla. — If the Coronavirus pandemic has you on hard times, or you or your child's graduation has been canceled, a Cape Coral woman wants to do something special for you.
Megan Reark is a wife, mom, and student. She's studying at Florida Southwestern State College to become a teacher. And she's also a photographer.
"I started the business a few years ago when I became a stay at home mom, just as an outlet to do something that I love," Reark said.
Her business is called "Stop the Clock Photography." She's taken photos for all kinds of events: birthdays, Christmas, weddings, and graduations.
With FSW's and Florida Gulf Coast University's graduations canceled, and possibility all graduations could be canceled because of Coronavirus, Reark said she wanted to do something good. She wants to offer any graduate whose commencement ceremony was canceled a completely free photo shoot.
"I realized it kind of gave me more joy to do those types of photo shoots than it did to just generally advertise, so to do it for a cause or a purpose makes it that much more meaningful," she said. "We can still celebrate the graduation, even if they aren't able to have a ceremony."
Reark said if it is on your heart to give, any money she receives will go toward her mission trip planned for this summer in Honduras. At this point, it has not been canceled because of COVID-19.
Reark's desire to give doesn't stop there. Her commencement ceremony to celebrate becoming a teacher and graduating from FSW was canceled, and she and her classmates came up with an idea.
"We're excited! We want to celebrate it!" Reark said. "So the idea was to host our own graduation, and then open it up to FGCU students as well, who graduate from the School of Education."
She said if high school graduations get canceled in Southwest Florida, those graduates are welcome to come, too. She started a Facebook Event, "Commencement Ceremony 2020." It's tentatively scheduled for May 30th, and she's working to hammer out an outdoor location, but said the date and place are subject to change because of the Coronavirus. She plans to wait until any isolation and social distancing orders have been lifted.
"We definitely want to stay within guidelines and make sure it's safe before we host something like that," Reark said."
If you or your child's graduation has been canceled, and you're interested in free graduation photos, you can find "Stop the Clock Photography" here.
If you or your child's graduation has been canceled, and you're interested in being a part of Reark's "Commencement Ceremony 2020," click here.
