As Santa's sled sailed the skies last Christmas eve, a beautiful snow blanketed north Texas.
But the snow just kept coming, and eventually over a foot of snow had descended onto the land and especially the highways in and around the tiny town of Bellevue, Texas. Traffic was heavy that night due to all of the travelers going to grandma's for Christmas, but the thick snow caused traffic to come to a complete halt. And Volunteer Fire Chief Mark Hanson's phone was ringing off the wall.
Chief Hanson mobilized his volunteers to the extent they could be mobilized under the circumstances. And they recruited anyone with a tractor to help the stranded motorists. Eventually many of the 300 or so residents of Bellevue had pitched in to help. And before it was all over they had provided a warm place to sleep and a hot meal to somewhere between 100 and 150 people on Christmas eve and another 50 on Christmas night.
This is America. This is Texas. And the people are fabulous. In the words of Chief Hanson, This is the spirit that makes America and Texas great.
By the way, the Clay County budget provides the Bellevue Fire Department $2,500 for fiscal year 2010.
So here's a hat tip to Chief Hanson, all the citizens of Bellevue who gave up their own Christmas eve to help others that cold night, and volunteers everywhere for all you do.
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