No matter where you look, the message “Faith Over Fear” continues to be prevalent within the region.
What started as an idea for Phil and Katie Ledford has flooded into a fundraising storm signifying the message to help Dr. Josh Wandell.
“My wife and I were really just messing around with her new machine, called a Cricut,” Mr. Ledford, a third-grade teacher at East Side Elementary, said. “It’s a machine used for scrapbooking and other types of arts and crafts. We wanted to make a vinyl decal and the design of the ‘Faith Over Fear’ stood out. I liked the way it looked so I put it on my vehicle.”
It didn’t take Ledford long to notice that others enjoyed the way the decal looked.
“I was getting asked about the decal,” he said. “People were asking where I  got it. The idea came from my wife, Katie, that we should make the decals and sell them with the money going to the Wandell family.”
Putting the plan into motion, Ledford brought 20 stickers to East Side, where Dr. Wandell previously worked as principal before his ALS diagnosis, and it was a “buyer frenzy” by the staff and faculty.
“Oh, they didn’t last long at all,” Ledford said with a laugh. “I brought 20 with me and Tammy Troutman, one of our second-grade teachers, sent an email about the decals. We sold out before the end of the school day.”
The snowball has continued to roll since that day.  Ledford stated the decals went through the Team Wandell Facebook page with overwhelming feedback from the public. After being shared by multiple individuals, including Team Wandell member T.J. Brown, online, Ledford added that he and his wife have been staying busy to keep up with the demand for the stickers.
“We started to get flooded with emails, messages, texts … it has been overwhelming,” Ledford said. “It’s been great to see the community come together like they do for the Wandell family.”
The decals are being sold for $10 each with all proceeds going to the Wandell family. Individuals can purchase the items by visiting either East Side or West Side elementary schools or by visiting the Team Wandell Facebook page online and placing an order.
“We have someone that has volunteered to mail out the decals,” Ledford said. “All of the proceeds will go directly to the Wandell family.”
Ledford added the initiative had raised over $1,000 during the first week of sales.
“This comes at a great time,” he said. “These decals can be used on vehicles, computers … it’s such a positive message. It’s an easy way of showing support. Josh recently went into 24-hour care, which can be rough financially. We just want to show the Wandell family we are here for them.”
For more information on how to obtain a decal, visit the Team Wandell Facebook page.