Monday, January 6, 2014

Man Wants to Give Back by Plotting a Krispy Kreme Donut Heist.

After 42-year-old Chris Rosati was diagnosed with ALS, he came up with an unusual plan to spread cheer: steal a Krispy Kreme truck and give away all the donuts. When Krispy Kreme heard about the plot after it was posted on social media, not only did they support Rosati's plan, they helped him pull it off.

Chris Rosati wanted to do one last good deed before he dies.

Chris Rosati should be enjoying his 40’s but unfortunately he is at the end of his life. About a year ago, this 42-year-old marketing vice president and father of two was diagnosed with ALS -- Lou Gehrig’s disease. He doesn’t have long to live. He wants to make the time left count for something too.

It’s heartbreaking, but after Chris found out about his illness, he did something few people with a terminal illness would ever choose to do: he applied online for a job as a donut delivery man for Krispy Kreme. Why?

Chris has a plan to spread donut cheer!

“I knew I wouldn’t get the job, but at least then I could say when they arrested me, ‘Hey, man, I applied,’” Chris said. When they arrested him? “Then the next step is to try to steal a truck,” he assed. What? Steal a truck?

Chris had this dream to stake out the Krispy Kreme donut factory near where he lives in Durham, N.C., follow one of the drivers on a route and take his truck when the guy’s not looking. “And then just go around and give away the donuts,” he explained.

Kind of like a Robin Hood taking donuts from the rich, in this case a donut maker and giving them to the poor.

“I was going to go to the nearest school,” Chris says. “One of the blessings of ALS is -- what are they going to do?” Chris says.



Krispy Kreme helps Chris’s dream come true.

No, Chris did not get arrested. He didn’t get the job either. When Krispy Kreme heard about his plotting through a Facebook post, they didn’t threaten prosecution. Instead, they offered transportation. Specifically, a bus -- a bus stocked full of donuts.

And so, for an entire day, Chris, his family and friends, joyfully delivered tasty donuts to people in city parks, cancer wards and children’s hospitals. “We’re glad to make some people smile,” he says.

But the biggest smile of the day belonged to Chris himself. His original dream was to show up at a school -- and he did, at his old high school – with delicious donuts!

Chris taught a valuable lesson to many.

Chris says if dying has taught him anything, it’s about how to live. He says you have to do what you can to make people smile while you still have the chance. He really wants kids, especially, to know that. That’s his legacy.

“Because if I can’t impact people, this whole thing (my life) is a waste,” he says.

I think Chris’s donut day was a huge success and the message will linger on – longer than the sugar high.


Nancy Burban 2014

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