Samaritan Shovels Out Boston Marathon Finish Line

Winter Storm Juno wasn't exactly kind to Boston this week. After dumping more than 30 inches of snow on parts of Massachusetts, the storm headed to the capital city and blanketed the streets and rooftops with over two feet of the white stuff. And while most people were hidden inside their homes under mounds of blankets or bundled up on their way to work, one kind stranger decided to shovel out the iconic Boston Marathon finish line, the site of the twin bombings that killed three in April 2013, as a gesture of love toward the city and its inhabitants.

Early Tuesday morning, Twitter and Instagram began blowing up with the hashtag #WhoShoveledTheFinishLine after several users posted photos of a mysterious man digging out the finish line from the heavy snow. By mid-morning Wednesday, the hashtag had caught the eye of the Boston Police Department, prompting them to reach out to their followers in order to find the kind Samaritan behind the act.

After a careful search, on Wednesday afternoon Boston Magazine declared they had finally solved the mystery and met the man behind the shovel. The magazine wrote in an update that the "noble shoveler" is Chris Laudani, a bartender at Back Bay Social Club. What prompted him to do it? Laudani explained to the magazine:

I only did it to send a message…I love the Boston Marathon and everything it stands for, the finish line doesn’t deserve to be covered in snow.

I think it’s cool that so many people feel the same way, but I saw the word ‘hero’ being tossed around and that I don’t like. I’m no hero, I’m just a nut who loves the marathon. The real heroes are the people who were out there clearing the streets and sidewalks, the [Boston Police Department], and the [Boston Fire Department] who risk their lives every day to keep people safe.

If anyone was looking for inspiration to do some good today, this was undeniably it.

Image: KelseyKarkos/Instagram