Don Gardener doesn’t have much time to waste when he’s doing his job as a garbage collector, but that doesn’t stop him from going the extra mile.
When he sees that an elderly resident has forgotten to take their cans to the street, he does it for them. And when he notices an American flag in the trash, he makes sure to take it out so it can be disposed of properly. He’s had the opportunity to do the latter at least as dozen times in the 11 years he’s had this job, and one of them was caught on camera… by the person who threw it away.
Turns out, it had accidentally gotten thrown away during a clean-up after Easter. As a wife to a veteran, Brooke Cowley was mortified by the accident but also so grateful for Don’s kindness. To repay him, she shared a video she took of him taking the flag out of the trash in hopes that their community, in Utah and beyond, will show him the respect and recognition he deserves.
“It’s just something I do,” Don, a Marine Corps veteran, said. “Anybody in Emery County that knows me, if you don’t know what to do with it, get it to me. I’ll make sure it’s took care of proper.”
Watch Don in action below and don’t forget to share.
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