EXCHANGE: Sterling man clears snow for free to help others

STERLING, Ill. (AP) - When Jacob Gale looked on Facebook Monday night and saw people charging $15 and $20 to shovel a driveway, all he could do was shake his head.

"I'm thinking to myself, 'Why would you charge someone to do that?'" said Gale, who lives in Sterling and works odd jobs with his parents. "These are our neighbors, and we see them every day."

So the 22-year-old spent all day Tuesday shoveling driveways in the Sterling and Rock Falls area - free of charge.

He shoveled his first driveway at 4 a.m. By 4 p.m., Gale had cleared 26 driveways.

"I saw people on Facebook say I'll do this and that for money, and I was always brought up to help neighbors and help people," Gale said. "In my opinion, helping people is worth more than making money."

Gale, a 2011 graduate of Polo High School, said his mother, Angela Hecathorn, taught him at an early age about the benefits of helping people.

"She always taught us that helping people went a mile, while money only went a minute," Gale said. "My mom pushed that, and she always taught me to help my friends and family when they are in need."

On Monday night, Gale posted on Facebook that he was willing to shovel driveways in the area - if folks would provide the shovel. He's had people reaching out to him ever since.

"This was just the right thing to do," Gale said. "I enjoy helping others and letting them know that the almighty dollar does not rule everything."

Still, those he helped offered to pay.

"I've been telling people to keep their money," Gale said. "I'm not doing this for a spotlight. I just enjoy helping other people."

Gale eventually came up with a way for people to pay him.

"If you want to pay me, a cup of hot chocolate will do just fine," Gale said with a laugh. "It's pretty cold out here."

One of the driveways Gale shoveled belongs to Casey Kindle, who lives on 15th Street in Sterling.

"I just told him I thought he was doing a good thing," Kindle said. "If we had more Americans like him, our country would not be as bad as it is."

Kindle gave Gale a snow thrower to make his job easier. He also gave him $20 for some gas for his truck.

"I would not let him shovel my driveway for free," Kindle said. "If he is doing good for the community, the least I can do is help him out and make his job easier."

Kindle, 34, said what Gale is doing is not something that is seen every day.

"For a kid to take his own time and his own gas and do everything on his own is touching," Kindle said. "Things like that do not go unnoticed."

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Source: The (Sterling) Daily Gazette, http://bit.ly/1xFgG1Z

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Information from: The Daily Gazette, http://www.saukvalley.com