Man With Special Needs Gets Blindfolded By Locals Before They Help Him Out Not Once But Twice

Oct 21, 2020

The importance of building relationships is a necessary part of the human experience. It isn't a selfish matter, either. Supporting each other is the most effective way to maintain community morale and boost everyone's spirits. When the task requires boosting community spirits, few men are more adept than Ty Burningham.

Colloquially known as the "Mayor of Davis County," Burningham goes around and greets the people in his community daily. But walking around everywhere can take its toll. So for Ty's 25th birthday in 2020, a group of boys from the Davis High School got together and bought him a scooter. Many members of their community showed up when they gave it to him and Burningham was overjoyed!

The scooter meant that Burningham had a much more efficient mode of transportation to take him around Davis County when he greeted the community. Local news station KSL TV reported on the heartwarming gesture and Burningham's story was thrust into the spotlight. 

Then in 2021, in an update to Burningham's story, The Davis Journal reported that his bike was stolen, however, the community banded together once more to make sure that Burningham didn't go without. Donations came in so quickly that Jeff Bosen, who created the "Adventures with Ty" Facebook group, had to put out a notice to stop sending in money, as they received far too much. In the end, the community bought Burningham a new bike and used the rest of the money to donate to local charity Kaysville Gives, which provides holiday gifts to families in need. 

Being a local celebrity, many people know and love Burningham. A group of his fans happens to be a gaggle of teenagers from the local Davis High School. They saw him walking every day and banded together to see if they could help out their friend. They knew his 25th birthday was coming up in 2020, and they decided that was the perfect opportunity. One boy summed it up when he said to KSLTV:

"You know, just all of us combined, we just pitched in $10. It’s not that big, but Ty, we just love him.”

The group pooled their cash together and bought Burningham a brand new scooter. They got him a very nice one with plenty of power and range for his daily excursions. Burningham was easy to find on his birthday, so they all gathered him up and told him they had a surprise for him. While one boy covered Burningham's eyes, they led him across the road to his new scooter. A large group from the town had gathered, and many had made signs and cakes. It was a big celebration.

Counting down from three, they revealed the scooter to Burningham. "Oh Sweet!", he yelled in happiness. They gave him a quick tour of the controls and then set him loose. He took off, finally free from the drudgery of walking 12 miles every day. Quaid Rasmussen, one of the organizers and funders, jokingly recounted: 

"We turned it on for him and he zipped up the street. We were worried he wasn’t going to come back!”   

Burningham's excitement was clear. He said "Sweet!" over and over and talked about how fast the scooter was. He wasn't sure how to accept the gift though, as he said: "You guys aren't gonna take it back, right? This is mine now?" You could tell just how much the gesture meant to Burningham.

But since then, the community banded together once again to show how much Burningham really means to them. As reported by The Davis Journal, in Oct. 2021, Burningham's bike was stolen and the Facebook group "Adventures with Ty" knew they wanted to help. So they put out a call for donations and the money came fast and quick. So much, in fact, that Bosen, who started the group, posted:

“PLEASE NO MORE DONATIONS. First off I want to thank everyone who donated money toward Ty’s bike. In less than 24 hours you guys raised a lot of money!”

Unsure about what to do with the surplus money, Bosen and Burningham's mom, Sandi Quick, reached out to the community about what to do. They had thought about returning something back to everyone who donated, but in the end, the community said to donate the extra amount to the Kaysville Gives holiday project. The initiative aims to give holiday gifts to more than 35 local families who are in need.

When Burningham received his new bike on Nov. 7, 2021, he was ecstatic, and he actually surprised Bosen with a present as well — a bottle of Goo Gone and some snacks.

This story is a fantastic reminder that even a small act of kindness can make a huge difference in someone's life. The boys who funded the scooter and the community who got together to get Burningham a new bike were not rich by any means, but they cared about him and made it happen. They gave the local ambassador a reason to smile.

Seeing such an act of kindness from a group of high schoolers and a local community is a wonderful moment. What's your favorite story of a community coming together to take care of those in need? Tell us your stories and pass on this video to those you know!