81-year-old crossing guard Barry Gardner is not only keeping kids safe as a crossing guard, but he’s spreading joy to those walking past through his many colorful hats.
Gardner works at the crosswalk near Sunrise Elementary School in Sandy, greeting everyone who walks past with a warm smile. Many parents, including Chantay Gee, say that Gardner is their favorite face to see on their way to their children’s school, saying that they like his attitude.
What sets Gardner apart from other crossing guards are his fun and colorful hats. Gardner says that initially, he was just wearing baseball hats, but after finding and trying on some more fun ones, he started wearing them to work and everybody began commenting on them. Gardner even has different hats for different occasions.
Angela Wilkinson, principal at Sunrise Elementary, says that Gardner’s hats change your day for the better and even if you’ve had a bad morning, the attitude he gives off makes your day brighter and happier.
