It’s hard to imagine commuting to work every day on a bicycle – in winter, in Wisconsin. But, that’s exactly what Chick-Fil-A employee Hokule’a Taniguchi has been doing. That kind of dedication baffles Taniguchi’s co-workers.
“I couldn’t do it, myself,” co-worker Haley Bridges told WLUK News. “I can’t imagine how she does it.”
Taniguchi says that the frigid Wisconsin temperatures have been difficult to adjust to. “I was biking here every morning, so it was a little rough,” the 19-year-old said. “Because I’m from Hawaii, I was like, ‘It’s kinda cold!’”
Her co-workers wanted to do something. So, over the Christmas holidays, when they got wind of a car giveaway at the company Christmas party, they came up with a plan. “We all put one in and we’re like, ‘If one of us gets it, it’s gonna go to her, like no matter what,” Bridges said. “It was not a second thought.”
When Bridges’ name was drawn and she announed that she was giving her prize to Hokule’a, it was an emotional moment. “I really just started crying, because I was so happy and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh! I can’t believe this is real!’”
The gesture of kindness has been life-changing for Hokule’a. “Now I can go grocery shopping,” she told WLUK. I can like go to work like five minutes before now, instead of like two hours earlier, just to get here on time,” Taniguchi said. “There’s a million more opportunities and possibilities for me now!”