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How a mannequin's daily routine is bringing joy to a Willowick neighborhood during the coronavirus pandemic

One Willowick family dresses 'Kevin the Mannequin' in new outfits each day.

WILLOWICK, Ohio — If you stroll down E. 293rd St. in Willowick, you will most likely meet Mary Slocum and her husband, Tim.

Oh, and then there's Kevin. 

But unlike Mary and Tim, Kevin is a mannequin. 

He came into the Slocum's life back in January when Mary requested a mannequin for her birthday.

"I just think it's fun!" Mary said. "Something to do." 

It wasn't until the March lock down amid the coronavirus pandemic that Kevin really started to come out of his shell. Each day since quarantine, Mary, Tim and a few helpful neighbors have prepped Kevin to go on a new adventure.

Located in their Willowick driveway, Kevin has fixed the car, trimmed the bushes, showed off his skills on the grill, worked on his tan, camped and performed surgery. 

"A lot of people are walking these days, so they get to come see what Kevin's doing," Mary said.

He regularly stops traffic and has captivated neighbors. Elizabeth and Robert Exoo, along with their 7-month-old daughter, Kate, are regular visitors. 

"It's part of everyone's routine," Elizabeth laughed. "What is Kevin going to be today?"

They first met Kevin on one of their daily quarantine walks back in March. 

"Sure enough, the next day he was out again," Elizabeth said.

It was then they started to take regular selfies with Kevin in each one of his different outfits. Elizabeth said that it gave them something to brighten their day, and also brought them closer to neighbors. 

"We had something to look forward to every day. Neighbors to social distance, but talk to every day really was a bright spot in a dark time."

Kevin might not be able to smile himself, but on E. 293rd he continues to spread joy during an uncertain time.

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