I'm a college student, and I've been a die-hard Penguins fan since I attended my first game in the early 1990s with my uncle, and have followed the team every year. I don my Crosby jersey on game day and was one of the many in attendance at the parade this summer.

I was lucky enough to score tickets to a Friday night Florida Panthers game from a work colleague. I couldn't wait to surprise my boyfriend (another huge Pens fan) with this great "date."

We took our seats in Section E and waited anxiously for the game to begin. I decided to ease the wait with a trip to the concession stand for some snacks, as we hadn't eaten dinner yet.

Coming back with two beers, a pretzel and nachos, I realized it was almost game time. Walking down the steps to our seats, I slipped and fell, spilling my tray and covering myself in beer, mustard and nacho cheese.

Immediately, two men stepped out of their seats to help me. One made sure that I wasn't hurt (I was just embarrassed) and the other gentleman went to alert an usher of the spill.

As I sat up, using my few napkins to wipe myself off, I saw the layer of mustard and cheese covering my precious jersey and was on the verge of tears. My jersey was a prized possession, and cost almost a whole paycheck.

I returned to my seat to watch the game. Just moments later, we were interrupted by an older gentleman holding a tray of nachos, a pretzel and two beers. He handed them to us, telling us that he just wanted us to enjoy the game.

He also handed me a white shopping bag. Inside was a Sidney Crosby jersey, just like the one I was wearing. He told me that since my jersey had most likely been ruined by the stains, and was soaked with beer, that I should have a new one.

He refused to let me give him any money and wouldn't even give me his name. He told me that I reminded him of his daughter and that it was his pleasure to help a fellow Pens fan.

I was touched beyond words by his generosity. My boyfriend and I thoroughly enjoyed the game, which ended with the Penguins winning in a shootout, but the real takeaway of the evening was the kind and generous spirit of our fellow fans. Although memories of the Stanley Cup finals make me smile, nothing meant more than the kindness I was shown by my fellow Pittsburghers.

BETH MELANE

Oakland

This past Saturday evening we took our children trick-or-treating to enjoy the Halloween holiday. During the excitement of the festivities, our 6-year-old daughter, Carly, suddenly realized she had lost her eyeglasses.

She became very upset as her vision is poor and she cannot see without her glasses. Despite much reassurance that we would contact her ophthalmologist, ASAP, she remained distraught at the thought of going to school without her glasses.

She insisted on going home to get a flashlight to search. My husband and I returned to the area to no avail. A kind neighbor, who was a stranger to us, asked if he could help. Unfortunately, it was dark and the ground was covered with leaves, making a difficult search an impossible task.

The next morning at 9, the doorbell rang and my neighbor was holding the glasses in his hand. Apparently, he had gone for a walk with his young daughter and found them. He did not know exactly where we lived, so he had walked around the neighborhood until he found us!

I only know that his first name is Brett. We are so very grateful for his kindness. Not only did he bring a huge smile to the face of my daughter, he helped to teach the invaluable lesson of being kind to others.

MARCI and ERIC CAPLAN

Point Breeze

Looking for more from the Post-Gazette? Join PG+, our members-only web site. You'll get exclusive sports content, opinion, financial information, discounts from retailers and restaurants, and more. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.