There's nothing like the Christmas Spirit to rally people together to do some good. With so much disaster and heartache around the world, all it takes is one person to achieve an incredible act of kindness. One man did just that when he saved Christmas for nearly a hundred travelers, who found themselves stranded on Christmas Day.
Brian Snow, a local resident of Deer Lake, Newfoundland had learned that a plane bound for St. John's, Newfoundland was diverted to Deer Lake due to high winds. A friend of his happened to be one of the 75 passengers on board the WestJet flight. Snow learned that the passengers were in a bit of a difficult situation, since it was Christmas Day, all restaurants and shops were closed, and the Holiday Inn which the passengers were sent to didn't have a restaurant. As the community services coordinator for the Salvation Army, Snow recognized the need to step up and do something to save their Christmas Day.
Snow posted a message on Facebook, urging his friends and community members to bring any food they could spare to the Holiday Inn, where the passengers were staying. Snow asked for sandwiches, leftover turkey, and other food items to be donated. He ended his call with a heartfelt line, "Let's show the true Christmas spirit."
The post was shared almost immediately, and the message got around quickly. The community was able to set up a potluck of sorts, inside the hotel lobby in no time. Community members set up a delightful assortment of sandwiches, drinks, freshly baked breads, and desserts. They left their own Christmas dinners to bring a little something to help ease the stress of the stranded passengers' day.
The Christmas spirit didn't stop there, though! The local residents announced to the passengers, after dinner, that they'd be taking them all to the airport, as they had no way of getting there on their own. A huge line of vehicles waited outside of the hotel to take them back to the airport for their flight home.
The love and generosity shown, by the Deer Lake community, truly touched the hearts of passengers, and Facebook followers, everywhere. They are the true embodiment of the Christmas spirit, and have set an example for all of us.