KANSAS CITY, Mo. — After Ray O’Kelly closed his gym due to inclement weather in Waldo, he decided to keep on working.
“What should I do today? I’ll just hop in the truck,” O’Kelly said. “[One person] goes, 'Thank you, do I owe you anything?' I’m like, 'No.' I started pulling more people out."
Nearly a dozen people later, KSHB 41 News met up with him.
“I actually had one girl give me a couple of beers,” he said.
O'Kelly worked for more than 8 hours to chain people's cars up and tow them out of an icy situation. But why?
“Honestly, I’m 46 years old, and when I was younger, I wasn’t a very nice person,” he said. “I’m serious, and now it’s time to be nice and give back, and karma will come back to you.”
KSHB 41 spoke with a few people O’Kelly helped rescue.
“He’s being a good Samaritan? That’s awesome. Definitely was reassuring," one rescue said. "My four-wheel system is bad on my truck, and this is embarrassing, a four-wheel drive half-ton truck can’t make it up a hill. Definitely appreciate it. I need some tires like he does.”
And after helping more and more people, O'Kelly decided he didn't want to stop.
“The reactions on their face, it helps because that’s the kind of business I’m in — whether it be health and fitness or getting them out of the ditch,” he said.
He also says it was a way for people to avoid a tow, which usually starts at $150.
“If someone needs help, help them,” O'Kelly said.
