In Newtown, Conn., a smile can go a long way. But Newtown High School traffic agent Kathy Holick doesn’t just smile. She dances.
She really, really dances.
As the 47-year-old grandmother guides students and drivers on the road, she shakes, groves and boogies to the music playing from her cellphone.
Known as “Kat, the traffic lady,” residents make special detours just to catch a glimpse of her, the Hartford Courant reports. A beloved icon in the community, her public Facebook page (where she posts messages of positivity and inspirational quotes) has more than 1,400 Likes.
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“Everyone seems to love her and she has put smiles on many faces,” Newtown resident John Bergquist told the Courant. “If she was directing traffic in any town across the country she would deserve praise and attention for the unique approach to her job. But someone who stands out for her kindness is especially meaningful in a community that is still healing from a massive trauma.”
The world seemed to stop on December 14, 2012 after a gunman opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary, taking the lives of 26 people, including 20 children.
“It is just so inspiring to see someone who is a point of light that reminds us to be positive, to treat each other with love and compassion, and that there’s still a lot of good in our community and elsewhere. She gives us hope and leaves us with a smile every day,” Bergquist added.
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In the video below, you’ll see that Holick, who was born and raised in Sandy Hook, brings every ounce of her infectious spirit to her job.
Brushing off her positive impact to the town, at 1:19, she chokes up as she recounts the small tokens of appreciation that she receives from community members.
“‘All I do is just try to make people happy,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting the gifts.”
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