Herriman man delivers pies, gift cards as thank you to gas station attendants
Nov 25, 2021, 5:10 PM | Updated: 6:51 pm
SALT LAKE COUNTY — A man in Herriman is thankful for the many gas station attendants who give up time with their families on Thanksgiving to work.
They caught his attention last year.
This year, Josh Downs wanted to give them something a little special.
Downs is a dad who doesn’t have his daughters with him this Thanksgiving. So, he decided to do something a little different and share pies and gift cards with those who keep the gasoline and quick items flowing for the holiday.
“I just wanted to do something to give back to the community that I’ve been a part of for so long,” Downs said.
He gave thanks to workers at convenience stores who didn’t get to be with their families Thursday.
“I am going around to gas stations around the community, covering as many as I can, to deliver a little thank you to those who are working away from their family and friends so that we can go see ours,” he said.
Last year, when he stopped in at his neighborhood gas station Thanksgiving afternoon, he struck up a conversation with the attendant.
“She had chosen to work because she couldn’t be with her family and friends and thought she would do that so that others could be,” Downs said.
He wanted to do something to make sure that she felt appreciated.
“I actually went home and got a plate of Thanksgiving food and brought it back to her, and it’s just always stayed with me,” Downs said.
So, this year he started a fundraiser called #GiveThanksForGas, and 70 people pitched in.
“We ended up getting over $3,200. So, it went from five pies, and ended up being about 40.”
He attached a $100 gift card and a thank you note to each pie.
“Just a little personal thank you note for what they’re doing,” he said.
Downs and a few of his friends made the deliveries, which were greatly appreciated by the workers he surprised.
Like most of us, he’s usually in a hurry when he’s in the gas station. But, not today.
“I wanted to slow down a little bit and recognize the opportunities we have just to make a difference in our day-to-day journeys, instead of always trying to hurry to get to where we’re going,” Downs said.
He also has a podcast called The Daily Drive.
