Fletcher Moore only wanted one thing for his birthday.
The boy wanted to spend nine hours of “unrushed time” in Meijer, a regional big-box chain headquartered in Walker, Mich.
On April 16, the day after his ninth birthday, Fletcher and his mother, Kristen Moore, spent the entire day at the Meijer’s flagship location in Grand Rapids, Mich.
“The day at Meijer was a great place for him to be in charge of his day, in charge of his money, and take the time to slow down and pay attention to what he was interested in,” Moore told Michigan Live.
They arrived at 9 a.m. and left at 6 p.m.
During that time, Fletcher rode a skateboard, hula-hooped, ate copious amounts of sushi, and even got to meet Doug Meijer, grandson of the founder and a current Meijer executive.
Fletcher received a tour of Meijer’s flagship store from Chris, a long-time employee. Fletcher decorated a cupcake, met a live lobster, and learned about the behind-the-scene activities of the store.
A number of Fletcher’s friends and relatives came to visit him, including his grandparents from Chicago, who could remember when the first Meijer store opened in 1962.
“I would spend the whole day in a cardboard box with one of my children if that was their birthday wish,” said Moore.
