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'Just trying to be helpful': Blasdell 'Snow Angel' practicing being a good neighbor after snowstorm

"I was just trying to be helpful. The saying, 'Love thy neighbor'."
Posted at 12:40 AM, Jan 16, 2024

BLASDELL, N.Y. (WKBW) — A young boy in the southtowns made use of his skills to take a bit of excess burden off of his neighbors.

7 News' Pheben Kassahun caught up with the 14-year-old "snow angel", who was trucking along in his town of Blasdell to brighten his neighbor's day.

At least 36 inches hammered the Town of Blasdell Monday.

However, it was no match for this 14-year-old, determined to clear driveways in his neighborhood, if it meant his older neighbors would navigate to their destinations with ease.

Mitchell Tisdale shared, while donning a reflector jacket, "I was just trying to be helpful. The saying, 'Love thy neighbor', so I was just trying to do a helpful thing around the neighborhood."

It might seem like a small gesture but it changed the course of the day for one of Tisdale's neighbors, who lives just around the corner.

"I was out here shoveling and I turned around and all of a sudden he was doing the hardest part I left which was the bottom of the driveway with four feet of ice and the snow, and it just came out of nowhere," Belinda Bonacquisti said.

Belinda Bonacquisti told Kassahun she was expecting at least a foot or two of snow and woke up to her surprise from mother nature being extra generous Monday, and doubling that.

"It came quick and it was definitely an event," Bonacquisti added.

Mitchell's mom, Dawn Tisdale, shared the task for Bonacquisti driveway took merely 40 minutes.

It brings her solace knowing her sweet snow angel is already making an impact to those around him.

"It actually made me shed a tear. You raise your kids to know the fundamentals and to do something that's kind for others,"

The sweet thing about this is Mitchell has been snow blowing since he was a young tyke.

This is picture of him at five years old, helping his dad clear their driveway.

Yeah, since he was 5 he had a little, tiny snowblower that he used to use, just to help his dad and follow him in line," Dawn Tisdale recalled with a smile on her face. "He loves being outside and anything with motors so he takes the initiative."

Mitchell added, "I like the snow, snow mobiling, 4-wheeling. I like being outside. It's kind of been a blast."

For his fellow neighbor Belinda Bonacquisti though, it meant the world.

"A good kid. A great gesture and a very good neighbor," Bonacquisti said. "It was great. I didn't know where he came from or what direction. He just really bailed me out today."