Highway Kindness: When H&S Bakery CEO Turned a Snowstorm Nightmare into a Miracle

Feeding the 500: Maryland bakery truck driver goes viral after handing out loaves of bread to snowed-in motorists on two-mile stretch of Virginia’s I-95 during snowstorm

Stranded on I-95, Hundreds of Motorists Were Saved by an Unexpected Act of Generosity

H&S Bakery CEO Turned a Snowstorm Nightmare into a Miracle

A miserable day stuck in the snow on U.S. Interstate 95 took a turn for the better through a positive highway treat.

In early 2022, a brutal winter storm hit Virginia and other eastern states. It dumped around a foot of snow. Thousands of drivers were left stranded on I-95. Among the stranded was a Maryland couple, Casey Holihan and her husband John Noe. They had gone 37 hours without food while waiting for the road to clear. Their hunger and desperation led them to take a chance. They called the customer service line of a nearby Schmidt Baking Company truck. They were hoping for a miracle.

“We didn’t think it would actually work, but less than 20 minutes later we got an incredible surprise,” wrote Casey in a Facebook post. “We received a personal call from the owner of the company, Chuck, who contacted the driver.”

Chuck Paterakis, the CEO of H&S Baking, the parent company of Schmidt Baking, didn’t hesitate.

H&S Bakery Truck Gives Free Bread To Drivers Stranded On Frigid Virginia Interstate

“It was an easy decision,” he told the Washington Post. His words to the driver were simple: “Give away all the bread.” He later reflected that he was “very humbled and grateful that we could help.”

The driver, Ron Hill, opened the back of his truck. With Casey and John’s help, he began distributing bread and rolls to the stranded travelers. In total, they handed out 300 packages of bread to more than 50 vehicles.

“We just kept giving it out until we couldn’t walk anymore because it was so freezing,” Holihan told NBC affiliate WBAL. “It felt incredible just hearing people say thank you and hearing people just so relieved to finally have food in their car, food in their system and in their kids’ system. It was a really incredible feeling.”

What started as a desperate phone call turned into a heartwarming act of humanity. A company CEO made a quick decision. A selfless truck driver acted bravely. Together, they turned a bleak and dangerous situation into a story of kindness that will be remembered for years.

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