In 2017, Brooke Yost met a state trooper named Chad Savannah by pure accident. When she got home, she wrote a letter to the police department to tell them about her encounter with Chad.
When Chad read her letter, he broke into tears. He had to get in touch with her parents immediately...
She Was Craving Donuts
On August 29, 2017, Brooke woke up craving donuts from the Sheetz gas station.
She lived in Butler, Pennsylvania, with her mother Beth, father Dave, and her two sisters, Holly and Rylee. Brooke's parents had always taught her to be honest with others and never break the law. But that day, she thought that breaking the law was her only option. So what did she do?
She Couldn't Wait To Eat Them
When Brooke saw the freshly baked donuts at the gas station, her mouth began to water. She wanted to eat one before she got to the counter, but she knew she would break the law if she did that.
When Brooke got to the counter, she realized she didn't have enough money to pay for the donuts. Again, this wouldn't have been a problem if her parents had been there, but this time, she went alone.
Her Mom Wasn't With Her
Her mom had driven her to the gas station, but she stayed in the car to talk with her sister on the phone.
Brooke didn't know what to do. She really wanted to eat these donuts. That's when she came up with the perfect plan, or so she thought.
She Didn't Know What To Do
“I was standing in line, and I didn’t have enough money, and I’m like, frozen,” Broke told the Butler Eagle.
“I didn’t know what to do.” To make matters worse, there was a policeman behind her. So what did she decide to do?
Chad Savannah
Behind her was State Trooper Chad Savannah.
He could've easily told Brooke to go to her mom's car to get some money or ask her to move. But instead, he decided to help her.
He Paid For Her Donuts
“I asked the clerk if she’d put the bill with my stuff, and I would take care of it,” Chad told KDKA.
He thought that Brooke would at least thank him for his good deed, but instead, she turned around and ran to her mom's car.
She Forgot To Pay Him Back
“I paid for the donuts, and she ran out. It was almost like she’d robbed the place, it was that quick,” he said.
It was only when Brooke got home did she realize that she had forgotten to pay the kind policeman back. So, she tried to fix the situation by writing a letter to his police department.
Her Letter
When Chad opened her letter, he nearly fainted. "My name is Brooke, and I'm nine years old. I was at Sheetz and didn't have enough money," the letter started.
"A nice police officer behind me kindly paid for my item. I thanked him but felt bad because I didn't offer him the money I had."
She Paid Him Back
In her letter, Brooke had enclosed some cash. “I am donating this money,” she wrote.
"I want to thank this officer again. Stay safe. Brooke." How did the officers react?
Everyone Was Moved By Her Letter
“A lot of us are parents,” Lieutenant Dan Hines said.
"We hope that our own children have these traits and characteristics." All of the officers were moved by Brooke's letter. And they decided to surprise her!
They Bought Her Gifts
The officers collected $50 for Brooke and even got her a voucher for Toys 'R Us. Then, they drove to the girl's home to give her their presents.
They told Brooke to buy something nice for herself with this money, but she didn't keep all of it.
She Took Her Family Out On A Nice Dinner
Brooke took her family out to dinner with the $50 she received from the officers and used her gift card to buy donations for the annual Marine Corps Toys for Tots drive.
A few years later, Brooke's mother was busy taking a customer's order when she saw a familiar face.
Lieutenant Hines
It was Lieutenant Hines. She walked over to him and introduced herself.
"She said, 'Lt. Hines? I'm Brooke's mother," Hines told the Butler Eagle. "We need to do something nice for this young lady," commanding officer Steve Ignataz recalled thinking. And they did that.
They Gave Her Presents
The officers gave Brooke's mother a tour of the police station and even allowed her to sit inside a patrol car!
They asked her to promise them that she would buy herself something nice with their money.