SANDY, Utah — A crossing guard in Sandy is keeping kids safe while spreading joy with the help of his many colorful hats.
At 81 years old, crossing guard Barry Gardner is a familiar face at the crosswalk near Sunrise Elementary School in Sandy, greeting everyone who comes his way.
Gardner's job is more than just flashing lights, putting cones in the street and wearing a bright orange jacket. He's also waving and smiling to everyone who sees him.
One parent mentioned Gardner as their favorite face on their way to their children's school.
“He reminds me to slow down. You see him wave and it’s like, oh time to slow down,” said one parent Chantay Gee. “I like his attitude. He waves at every single person who drives by."
“You really affect the lives of everybody," he said. "I found that people even coming by in the cars have fun with this.”
Gardner has a way of making getting to and from school a little more fun – with his hats.
“I was wearing baseball hats and then I found some of the fun hats, so I put the fun hats on," he said. "Everybody started commenting on it, and it just moved from there. It’s just a fun way to get the kids involved.”
He has different hats for different occasions and entertains people at the intersection.
“It changes your day,” said the principal at Sunrise Elementary, Angela Wilkinson. “When you’re coming and it’s been kind of a hard morning and you’re rushing out the door, that small gesture, it can just make your day better.”
He cares for every kid he helps cross the street.
“There are some kids that come by that you can tell they are cold, you can tell they’re hungry," said Gardner. "I’ve got a whole box of gloves in the back, the school has coats and stuff, so all I have to do is take a picture and go up and show them, and they get a coat to them.”
Another parent describes their experience with Sandy's favorite crossing guard.
“He totally makes our day,” said another parent. “We transferred from another school, we didn’t know anybody, and now it’s like, at least there’s one person who’s really friendly.”
