Casey's Employee Walks Through Blizzard, Receives Award

Last week, Ricky Radar, an employee of Casey’s General Store, was awarded with the Coin of Excellence award, an award given out sparingly to top employees.

This is the first time an employee at the Neligh store has received this award.

Why?

For walking through a blizzard to work .

Most Antelope County residents remember last year’s big blizzard in February.

As Gloria Dennis, Casey’s General Store’s manager, remembers it, the blizzard had been blowing for hours and covered the town by 10 p.m., the time when Casey’s night crew comes in.

“It had been snowing all night, and we called to try to get them (Casey’s corporate office) to close but they wouldn’t let us,” remembered Dennis. “It was getting to the point where none of us could get our cars out, including me and I only live a few blocks away!”

Ricky Radar, a night shift employee, didn’t let that stop him from making his way to work.

“We didn’t know what we were gonna do to get here,” Dennis said. “And my night guy (Rader)—he lives like 17 blocks away—he started walking in the blizzard.”

Rader, who according to Dennis went out in the blizzard in his work clothes with minimal covering, was concerned about getting to work for his shift.

When Dennis realized he was walking, she just couldn’t believe it.

Dennis remembers trying to get him a ride. “I finally got a hold of my brother-in-law who works for the road crew. He was coming back into town with his county truck and he stopped and picked him (Rader) up over by the Imperial and ended up bringing him the rest of the way.”

However, Rader had already walked several blocks in the blizzard, and Dennis is confident that he would have walked the rest of the way.

When Rader arrived at work, he helped others stuck in the snow in casey’s parking lot get out and on their way home safely.  

“In this day and age,” said Dennis, “those kind of employees are few and far between. We appreciate his extra efforts.”