Help Me Keep My Dream Alive: Support “Keep It Moving”

Help Me Keep My Dream Alive: Support “Keep It Moving” Transportation

When I was a young girl growing up in Elko, I watched my father help people every day. He would drive them to doctor’s appointments, shopping trips, and to visit friends and family. Around town, people would see my brothers and say, “Ask your dad if he can take me here or there.” Watching how he cared for our community inspired me deeply. I knew then that one day, I wanted to run a business where I could both help people and build something that could support my family for generations.

In 2011, I decided that by 2019, I would officially start my own transportation company — and that company is now called Keep It Moving.

My goals were clear:

1. To build generational wealth for my children.

2. To help people in my community — especially those who had no means of getting to where they needed to go.

When COVID-19 hit, our county’s public transportation services had to reduce passenger capacity due to health concerns. As a result, many people were left without options. That’s when I started serious research into starting Keep It Moving. I used LegalZoom to prepare the necessary documents, and I already had the perfect name picked out — a name I had saved for years.

Shortly after, I left the company I was working for because the stress became overwhelming. Around the same time, my autistic son was diagnosed with diabetes. His blood sugar was over 700 when he was admitted to the hospital, and he stayed for two days. I had to put everything on hold to take care of him.

Finally, in 2021, I was able to get back on track — and Keep It Moving was officially established as a legal business.

But life had more challenges in store.

On December 16, 2023, my husband was admitted to Provident Hospital in very bad shape. Doctors weren’t sure if he would make it through the night. He was diagnosed with a serious staph infection. Just a few days later, on December 19th, he was transferred to Doctors Hospital because his condition worsened.

While waiting to hear about his condition, I received devastating news — my oldest sister had just passed away. My emotions were all over the place.

Eventually, doctors told me my husband needed to have his leg amputated. He refused. For the next six months, I held everything together. He flatlined for 16 minutes. The doctors feared brain damage. He suffered kidney failure, heart strain, and dangerously high white blood cell counts. It was one of the hardest periods of my life.

Then, my 19-year-old son began struggling with serious mental health challenges. He was eventually diagnosed with schizophrenia. It felt like a never-ending storm.

All during this time, I was fighting to keep Keep It Moving alive. My sister (the one who passed away) had donated her car to me. My daughter gave me hers. I also had two vehicles of my own. Sadly, one by one, they began to fail:

• Two of the vehicles had engine failure.

• Another car needed over $3,000 in repairs.

• And now, I’m down to one vehicle, which is also in need of maintenance.

Despite everything, I have not given up. I believe in Keep It Moving. I believe in helping others. I believe in what I saw my father do and what I’ve worked so hard to build.

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I am asking for $50,000 to help:

• Repair or replace my current transportation vehicles

• Hire reliable employees

• Invest in the tools needed to get Keep It Moving truly off the ground

This is more than a business. It’s a dream. It’s a legacy. It’s a service to the people in my community who need it most.

If you can give — anything at all — I would be deeply grateful. And if you can’t give, please consider sharing this with someone who might be able to help.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story. God bless you.

Mary Stroman

Founder of Keep It Moving