Mirabel, Que., Good Samaritan shovels out hospital workers in gesture of gratitude

Donald Hargray, a 65-year old retiree from Mirabel, has been looking for a way to thank health-care workers since the start of the pandemic.

“I wanted to find a way to give recognition to the health employees,” he said.

When a snow storm was forecast for this past weekend, it stirred an idea.

“I got my tools together and got ready for Saturday morning and I headed out here and started to clear snow,” Hargray explained.

He cleared 150 employee vehicles in the Saint-Jerome Hospital parking lot before taking a break.

“I was soaking wet so I needed to go home. I changed clothes, got a shower and had something to eat,” he said.

He then returned on Saturday afternoon when the snow was coming down harder.

He cleared another 30 vehicles and then 40 more Sunday morning, leaving many of the employees surprised and grateful — some of whom are working double shifts, or even longer.

Hargray said, “This lady came close to the car and she said, ‘Sir, thank you so much for what you’re doing. I just finished 24 hours of work.'”

His daughter, Julie Hargray, said she is very proud of her father.

“I had a text today from a friend who was in the hospital, in the cafeteria. And she was texting me that everybody was talking about him. He was the star of the day,” she said.

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Donald Hargray says he wants to encourage other people to spread kindness. He is now looking for volunteers to help him shovel out cars for the rest of the winter and to help with another project in the spring.

“I’m going to find a way to wash cars, wash their cars for them in the hospital parking lot,” he explained.