Pizza Shop Steps Up To Help After WWII Vet Said He Hadn't Received a Single Christmas Card
The festive holiday season is full of long-standing traditions. In fact, there are so many that not everyone can agree on their actual origins.
It’s tough to recall who created the very first fruitcake, for example. It’s also fair to assume certain folks would prefer to forget fruitcake altogether.
But Christmas greeting cards are another matter completely. Smithsonian.com explains that Sir Henry Cole helped design the inaugural batch in Victorian England, circa 1843.
And most of us can certainly agree that we welcome receiving these cards. Adorned with a handwritten note at the bottom, they’re a heartwarming holiday custom that can help anyone feel remembered and cherished.
That’s why a generous gesture from the team at Sloopy’s restaurant has quickly gone viral. According to Sloopy’s website, this popular eatery has three locations across northern Ohio.
Recently, a customer named Glenn Tesnow stopped into the Port Clinton location and ordered himself a slice. As he chatted away with the crew, he mentioned that he had yet to receive a single Christmas card this year.
As saddened staff members continued listening, the 97-year-old WWII veteran recounted his twice-daily trips to the mailbox. Tesnow said he peeked inside hopefully every time, but was greeted by the sight of an empty space.
So sympathetic Sloopy’s staffers decided to support the retired sergeant by harnessing the power of social media. Almost immediately, they shared a Facebook post asking their loyal customers to help spread some holiday cheer.
The post mentioned that Tesnow had served under General Patton, and deserved a true hero’s recognition. “We all may not be here today in this holiday season if it was not for the great men and women alike who gave their lives serving our country,” it proclaimed.
In no time, the local community enthusiastically rose to the occasion. Christmas cards and small gifts began pouring in for Tesnow.
And Sloopy’s was thrilled to hear it. Tesnow had become a beloved regular at the eatery, after all; stopping in periodically to share his recollections over a meal.
But it was this one poignant holiday tale in particular that really tugged at the team’s heartstrings.
As Kevin Knecht of Sloopy’s told WTOL, “He was telling us all the stories and everything and I just had to walk away from him for a minute.” Knecht explained that the kindly Tesnow’s humble admission “brought a tear to my eye.”
Thanks to Sloopy’s post, however, Tesnow is now receiving a near-constant level of recognition.
“He goes to the store and people stop and want to take pictures with him,” Knecht told WTOL. “They went to the Toledo Zoo and people were stopping to take pictures with him.”
Knecht admitted that there was just something about Tesnow that really brought out the Christmas spirit in his entire crew. “We care about our community and our veterans, so if there’s something we can do to help out we’re going to do it,” he said.
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