This HuffPost Canada page is maintained as part of an online archive.

Canadians Go Overboard To Help Edmonton Man Get To Grandma's Memorial

The most heartwarming thing you will read today.

A simple request on Twitter turned into an incredible display of generosity by Canadians to help an Edmonton man travel to Montreal for his grandmother's memorial service.

It all began when Tim Adams, an Edmonton journalist, posted a tweet last week asking locals to consider hiring Tom Narvanen to mow their lawns.

Adams was hoping to help drum up a bit of business for Narvanen, who has high-functioning autism and is on a limited income.

The post went viral in the best way possible, and people across Canada are now sending Narvanen cash donations, coupons, gift certificates, and job offers.

People with no lawn, or living outside of Edmonton, used their imagination, and sent him the money anyway:

Others touched by the plea donated much more than $20:

While several companies offered to hire him:

Narvanen, who describes himself as "pretty private," said he's "humbled" by the outpouring of support.

"It's unexpected, but very nice," he said in a phone interview with HuffPost Canada on Monday, adding that he now has a very full calendar of lawn-mowing commitments.

He said he has enough money to travel to Montreal now and isn't looking for any more donations, he said.

Narvanen said he has been mowing lawns for just over a year, and sometimes comes across customers who don't pay after the job's been completed.

"So this restores my faith in humanity a little bit," he told HuffPost.

And he's not alone. A lot of other people are feeling the warm fuzzies, too:

By Monday evening, Adams took down the original tweet at Narvanen's request due to "too much attention." And he took the opportunity to ask everyone to "do something good for family, a friend, neighbour or stranger."

Also on HuffPost:

Close
This HuffPost Canada page is maintained as part of an online archive. If you have questions or concerns, please check our FAQ or contact support@huffpost.com.