Earlier this month, the east coast faced a monstrous snowstorm that left drivers stranded on 1-95 when conditions became too dangerous to drive. Now, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has awarded the individuals, including a local truck driver, who helped make the overnight journey a bit more bearable.
The snow and ice shut down 50 miles of traffic, and among the drivers was Ron Hill, a Maryland truck driver who was on his way to deliver a load full of bread from Schmidt Baking Company. For hours, Hill and fellow motorists waited with no access to food, water or bathrooms. Then one couple came up with an idea that would help everyone around them.
Ellicott City natives Casey Holihan Noe and John Noe were on their way from Georgia to Maryland to visit family. Just days later, John would be stationed in Germany to serve in the U.S. Air Force for the next four years. They happened to be right behind Hill’s truck on 1-95 when traffic stopped. After 16 hours, they decided to call Schmidt Baking to ask if the company be willing to donate bread to the stranded travelers.
Thankfully, co-owner of the parent company, H&S Family of Bakeries Chuck Paterakis was more than happy to oblige. He gave the okay to Hill and soon, the trio was passing out two loaves of bread to every car they could. By the end, they’d given out roughly 600 loaves.
Truck Driver and H&S Family Co-Owner Receive Governor’s Citations
On January 13, Maryland Governor Hogan announced that both Hill and Paterakis received governor’s citations for their selfless acts.
“Today I presented governor’s citations to Ron Hill of @SchmidtOldTyme and Chuck Paterakis of H&S Family of Bakeries for their incredible selflessness in helping people stranded on I-95 in Virginia last week,” Governor Hogan tweeted.
The Noe’s were unable to attend the ceremony, as they had already left for Germany. The governor’s office stated that they will send their citations to the generous couple.
Ellicott City Natives Recall Night on the Interstate
Casey and John have posted their own story from that memorable night. On Facebook, Casey detailed her interaction with Hill and Paterakis and included a few photos from their efforts.
“After almost 21 hours of being stuck on 95 South, sleeping here over night, not having access to food or water, and all of the nearest towns being out of power we were tired, frustrated, and hungry. Many of the people stuck out here had small children, were elderly, had pets in the car, and hadn’t eaten in almost a whole day,” Casey wrote in her post.
The couple expressed their gratitude for both the local truck driver as well as the company.
“This was one of the kindest moments I have ever witnessed. Thank you Schmidt,” Casey shared.
