Milano Monuments Donation of Monument Featured on Channel 3 TV

It was unusual Christmas letter, but the message hit home with both a Cleveland monument company and a family in Rocky River, who are joining forces to help provide a tombstone to make a Stark County boy's wish come true. Milano Monuments is working with the Akers family, of Uniontown, to provide a grave marker for Cheryl Matthews, who drowned last spring. Matthews' 10-year-old nephew, Evan, wrote a letter to his school Pastor about his desire to purchase a marker, since the family had been unable to afford a tombstone for Matthews' grave. Channel 3 News featured Evan's letter on Dec. 20, and donations began arriving to help pay for the marker.

"There have been five monument companies or funeral homes in both the Cleveland and Columbus area that have contacted me, wanting to donate all or part of a monument," said Cindi Akers, Evan's mother. "The very first one to contact me was Milano Monuments in Cleveland."

Additional cemetery and delivery costs are being covered by the Zapis Family, which owns two retirement communities in Rocky River.

"Donna Zapis saw the original story on your station and said she wanted to team up with the Milano family to make this happen," said Karen Uthe, Zapis family spokesperson. "She has a son about this age and appreciated his Christmas wish for his aunt."