"I could use a little ... social interaction." –The Grinch

A Littleton teenager is having a little fun and spreading some cheer with his new side gig—being The Grinch!

Ethan Hecker is like a lot of kids these days; tired of being home and missing his friends. Instead of spending his days inside on the couch, bored, or playing video games, however, Ethan dresses up as The Grinch and scares neighborhood kids—at the request of their parents, of course.

Hecker got the idea when his mom, Allison, showed him a video of a girl who had dressed up as the classic Dr. Seuss character and was scaring people. He loved the idea and convinced his mom to buy him his own costume. The costume arrived pretty quickly, and Ethan and his mom posted the offer to come and scare kiddos on social media. 

He asks $20 per visit, to creep around and scare or delight kids. The response they've received has been overwhelming, and Ethan has found himself with a ton of requests for his Grinch routine.

Ethan without the costume, Courtesy of Allison Hecker

His mom tells OCN that Ethan is saving 90 percent of his earnings to buy his own car. She is disabled, and his dad is self-employed, so the family lives on a limited income and works to teach Ethan to avoid debt.

“I am disabled so we are on a partially limited income—my husband is self-employed. So, we are really proud of his initiative and desire to lighten the load for us. But he is honestly a very quirky, thoughtful kid," Allison said.

She adds that he loves earning the money, but his biggest takeaway is just getting to spend time with the kids and make them smile. "He’s very excited about all the attention—and like any teenager, thinks it’s cool."

Ethan has raised enough money so far to pay his mom back for the cost of the costume and has saved a few hundred dollars for his car. Check out this video from Denver7 that shows The Grinch in action: 

Sometimes a laugh can make all the difference, and we applaud Ethan and his mom for creating this special and fun side gig. We see a future entrepreneur in the making!

If you would like to book Ethan and his Grinch suit to shake things up in your neighborhood, email Allison Hecker at [email protected].

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