An incredible act of kindness from a Pittsburgh Penguins fan resulted in one of the coolest stories we’ve seen.
This incredible Penguins fan gave a person in need a moment they’ll never forget
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
Jimmy Mains had an extra ticket to the game on Wednesday night, a nice problem that many sports fan have found themselves in. Maybe you hit up your friends to see if they want to go or post on Facebook to ask an acquaintance — Jimmy did the same, but there were no takers. He decided to go to the game alone, and he met Rob along the way.
Rob is homeless, and he asked Jimmy for money as he was walking to the arena. Jimmy told Rob that he didn’t have money on him but offered his extra ticket to the man — suggesting he could get out of the cold for a while.
The two men watched the game together, and Rob couldn’t stop smiling. At intermission they ate chicken tenders, and by the end of the game, Rob told Jimmy that he “made his life.”
Mains spoke to NHL.com about the game and what he did:
“My parents always taught me to treat everyone how you wanted to be treated,” said Mains, a newly minted police officer in Rankin, Pa. with one month on the job and a former volunteer firefighter. “And if you have the opportunity to help someone, you do it. Just because someone is out on the street, doesn’t make you any better than them.”
After the game, all Rob wanted to know was how he could repay this act of kindness. Jimmy’s reply: “Pay it forward.”
This is simply one of the best stories of the year, sports or not.
h/t NHL on NBC
