Saint Nicholas

Yesterday was the feast day of Saint Nicholas.

While feasts of Saint Nicholas are not observed nationally, cities with strong German influences like Milwaukee, Cincinnati, and St. Louis celebrate St. Nick's Day on a scale similar to the German custom. As in other countries, many people in the United states celebrate a separate St Nicholas Day by putting their shoes outside their bedroom doors on the evening of Dec. 5th. St Nicholas then comes during the night. On the morning of Dec. 6th, those people will find their shoes filled with gifts and sugary treats. Widespread adoption of the tradition has spread among the German, Polish, Belgian and Dutch communities throughout the United States.

On the day after Thanksgiving or sometime in December, children and their families put up a Christmas Tree. A Christmas tree is a medium-sized pine, fir, or spruce tree that they put in their family room and decorate with ornaments and garlands of all sorts. They also normally put a star or angel on the top, as a symbol of Christ's birth. On the 24th of December, Christmas Eve, each child puts one empty stocking/sock on their fireplace. The following morning of 25 of December, the children awake to find that St. Nick has filled their stockings with candy and small presents (if the children have been good) or coal (if not). Gifts often include chocolate gold coins to represent the gold St. Nick gave to the poor and small trinkets. They also awake to find presents under the tree, wrapped in Christmas-themed paper. For these children, the relationship between St. Nick and Santa Claus is not clearly defined. Some parents explain that St. Nick is the same person as Santa Claus with St. Nick being the "official" name and Santa Claus being the "children's" name, while other parents explain that St. Nick is a separate person that is a helper of Santa Claus.

Later that day, Richard Mudrinich, Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man, met with Santa Claus at the North Pole. Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man (also know as Rescue Rick and The Grass Cut Man) is an advocate and promoter of yard safety, in particular grass cut safety. So, Rescue Rick went to the North Pole to give the jolly Big Guy his wish list for Christmas. “As the Holiday Season nears, I have decided to revisit Santa Claus to ask him for some gifts to spur my yard safety campaign. It worked when I was a kid,” winks Rescue Rick. “Santa Claus indicated that I have been a good man boy this year. Santa told me to believe and great outcomes will take place.”

Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man provided Santa with his Christmas list below:

(1) More awareness about yard safety.

(2) More yard safety educational tools.

(3) Establish and advance the Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man yard safety foundation, society of lawn mower amputees, and yard safety crusaders.

(4) Lawn mower and resources to ride across America to promote and communicate the yard safety message.

(5) Fellowship and support with yard equipment amputees.

(6) Pet adoption: three-legged doggy amputee

(7) More resources to advance my vision and defend myself from the thieves.

(8) No more yard accidents.

(9) A new big toe.

"Santa told me that with a good idea, the money and resources will follow,” says Rescue Rick. “I believe in Santa Claus. I believe in miracles.”

Richard Mudrinich had a lawn mower accident that resulted in the partial amputation of his left foot. Consequently, he has created his character Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man to educate and entertain the public about yard safety. “Lawn mower accidents happen in a split-second, often resulting in a life-altering outcome that sometimes includes amputation,” shares Rescue Rick. “I do not want this to happen to anybody else. Therefore, I strive to promote yard safety awareness.”

Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man wants to create awareness regarding the frequency and severity of lawn mower accidents and to promote preventive measures to rescue individuals from lawn mower accidents. Each year, there are about 100,000 lawn mower accidents.

Furthermore, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports that hospital emergency rooms treat more than 400,000 outdoor garden-tool-related accidents each year. Estimates from past statistics indicate that yard work accidents fatally injure more than 3,000 people.

Think before you cut. It hurts! Be Yard Safe!

Richard T. Mudrinich
Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man
http://www.rescuerick.com