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Couple who helped Koreans stranded in US blizzard feted as heroes in Seoul

Alexander and Andrea Campagna took in Korean travelers during deadly snowstorm in Buffalo last year – and got special thanks in return

A US husband and wife who sheltered 10 South Korean travelers in their home during a deadly snowstorm last Christmas have gone to Seoul and been feted as heroes.

Alexander and Andrea Campagna went to South Korea’s capital as part of a 10-day tour of the city organized as a token of gratitude for the husband and wife who opened up their home in Buffalo, New York, to strangers in need.

“To see everyone in Korea again is such a blessing,” Andrea Campagna, 43, told reporters in Seoul in reference to those whom she and her husband aided. “They ended up in the right place at the right time. Now we have people we can call friends for a lifetime.”

The 23 December blizzard that brought together the Campagnas and their newfound Korean friends was brutal. Officials said more than 22in of snow fell in Buffalo that day, and 40 people died for reasons linked to the blizzard, which New York governor Kathy Hochul memorably described as “a war with Mother Nature”.

“We’ve had snowstorms, but not to that extent,” Alexander Campagna said in Seoul, according to the Korea Herald. “We knew we were going to be stuck at home for many days.”

As they prepared to be locked down for a while, the couple suddenly heard a knock on their door. They opened the door puzzled as to “who would be outside in this weather”, said Alexander Campagna, 40, a dentist.

The Campagnas were greeted by Scott Park and a tour guide who asked them if they could borrow shovels to dig their bus out from under the snowfall.

But, as the Korea Herald noted, the couple thought the visitors had as much of a chance to do that as they would taking water out of the ocean. So they invited the group in for tea, coffee, warm socks and blankets.

To the Campagnas, it looked like their guests believed they would be able to leave after a cup of tea. “But it was impossible to get anywhere in that weather, and it was going to be time for dinner soon,” Alexander Campagna said.

The Herald recounted how Park’s wife cooked Korean dishes such as jeyuk bokkeum – spicy marinated and stir-fried pork – and dak-dori-tang, a spicy chicken stew, that everyone shared.

According to the Herald, Park recalled the relief he felt when he realized the Campagnas had a proper rice cooker and the necessary ingredients, saying: “It was as if they had prepared this for us.”

The visitors stayed at the Campagnas’ the rest of that day – a Friday – and through the remainder of the weekend before the storm passed and the group returned to South Korea, in scenes that seemed straight out of a saccharine holiday movie.

The story went viral after US media reported on it. More recently, the Korea Tourism Organization provided to the Campagnas a 10-day, all-expenses-paid tour of Seoul as a reward for their hospitality.

On Thursday, about a week into the trip, the Campagnas went sightseeing at some of Seoul’s most storied places, including Gyeongbokgung, a 14th-century palace with painted wood beams and curved roofs, the New York Times reported .

They dined at Michelin-recommended restaurants, visited a Buddhist temple and traveled to the demilitarized zone that divides South Korea from its northern counterpart. They also met up with six of the once-stranded tourists they had sheltered last year, though this time the setting was “a sun-filled restaurant in a traditional Korean house overlooking Changdeokgung Palace”, as the Times put it.

Andrea Campagna, a surgical nurse practitioner, said her and her husband’s story was only one of many neighborly good deeds done by Buffalo residents as the community fought to survive the blizzard. But she acknowledged it was a special story nonetheless.

“They endured the horrible storm with us,” she told the Korea Herald of their Christmastime guests. “When you spend time together in a disaster situation, you feel very bonded.”

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South Korean Tourists Trapped In Buffalo Blizzard Find Safety In Stranger's Home

A group of South Korean tourists whose van couldn’t make it through the wicked winter conditions near Buffalo, New York , found shelter thanks to a helpful stranger this past weekend.

Alexander Campagna, a dentist, wrote on Facebook that he received a “frantic knock on the door” in the village of Williamsville on Friday. Two men from a group of 10 tourists were at the door to ask for shovels to dig out their vehicle, which was stuck in front of Campagna’s home.

The tourists were stranded in what New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) described as “the blizzard of the century” ― a storm that has killed at least 28 people in Western New York’s Erie and Niagara counties, The Buffalo News reported .

People who died in the surrounding Buffalo area were discovered in snow banks and inside vehicles, The Associated Press reported , as snowfall totals reached 49.2 inches on Monday morning at Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

The tourists ― who were on their way from Washington, D.C. , to Niagara Falls ― “seemed unaware” of the pending storm. They “ended up stranded” outside Campagna’s home due to worsening conditions, one of the tourists, Pyeongtaek native Yoseb Choi, told The New York Times .

That’s when Campagna and his wife, Andrea, stepped in to offer them a place to stay.

Tourists in Buffalo? In winter? They Traveled From South Korea. They Got Stranded Near Buffalo. https://t.co/0TgSU1iqLv — Jeff Jarvis (@jeffjarvis) December 26, 2022

The couple provided the 10 tourists with places to sleep. During the unexpected weekend stay, the group watched a Buffalo Bills game and ate Korean meals together ― food that the Campagnas love to consume, the newspaper reported.

“It was kind of like fate,” Choi told the Times.

“We will never forget this,” Campagna said.

The van was still stuck on Sunday, but drivers reportedly picked up the tourists for a return to New York City , as a majority of the group are set to continue back to South Korea this week.

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Stranded in Buffalo, Korean tourists find a delicious solution

During a deadly blizzard last month in Buffalo, a group of Korean visitors were trapped outdoors. A few of them sought refuge at the home of a couple who loves Korean cuisine — so they began cooking.

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American couple who sheltered Korean tourists in blizzard visit Korea

Published : May 14, 2023 - 17:54

Link copied

On Dec. 23 last year, a group of South Korean tourists became stranded in Buffalo, New York, during a heavy blizzard on their way to Niagara Falls. Their van got stuck in the snow, so two of them knocked on the door of a nearby house to ask for shovels to dig the vehicle out of a ditch.

That was the home of Alexander Campagna and his wife Andrea, who had planned for a quiet Christmas weekend indoors, with a stocked fridge to wait out the snowstorm. The couple invited the nine travelers plus the driver in as house guests, and they stayed for two nights and three days sharing stories, cooking Korean food and watching American football.

Their story, told by the New York Times and other US media, went viral via social media.

Fast forward to May, the warm-hearted couple are now in Seoul for a 10-day tour of South Korea. They have also reunited with their guests from that unforgettable Christmas.

“To see everyone in Korea again is such a blessing,” Andrea told reporters in Seoul on Sunday. She and her husband arrived here Saturday at the invitation of the Korea Tourism Organization.

“We’ve always had an appreciation and interest in Korea. They ended up in the right place at the right time,” she said. "Now we have people we can call friends for a lifetime."

Alex recalled how the Christmas with the Korean guests began.

“We’ve had snowstorms, but not to that extent. … We knew we were going to be stuck at home for many days. So when we heard the knock on our door, we wondered who would be outside in this weather,” he said.

At the door were Scott Park and the tour guide asking if they could borrow shovels, but Campagna thought that would have been “like taking a spoon to take water out of the ocean.”

Their clothes were already soaked with snow, so the couple asked the travelers to come in, made tea and coffee, and gave them warm socks and blankets.

“I got the impression that for the first couple hours, our guests thought they’ll have tea and leave. But it was impossible to get anywhere in that weather, and it was going to be time for dinner soon,” he said.

Hoping to bond, he showed the guests Korean food ingredients they had, as the couple loved Korean food, and offered the guests to feel free to have or cook anything they like.

“We were surprised to see all the Korean condiments from soy sauce and mirin to chile powder and chile paste. There was even a rice cooker and Korean cookbooks as if they had prepared all this for us,” said Park, who joined the interview.

“They made us really feel at home. After our memorable time together, I thought I should do good deeds for others too.”

Park’s wife cooked Korean dishes like jeyuk bokkeum, spicy marinated and stir-fried pork, and dakdori tang, a spicy chicken stew, which they all shared together.

“They endured the horrible storm with us. When you spend time together in a disaster situation, you feel very bonded,” Andrea said.

“By Christmas morning, people were worried and there was this somber feeling. … When the plowers started coming, people were cheering and crying.”

The couple were surprised how viral the story went.

“We were shocked at how quickly and how far the story spread,” Andrea said.

“I think with how difficult things have been with COVID, after so much sadness, pain and losses, the world was hungry for a heartwarming story. I think that’s why the story resonated with so many people.”

Alex said they received many well wishes, kind messages on social media, cards in the mail and generous gifts of appreciation from Korean groups, like a coupon for a year of free fried chicken at Genesis BBQ.

“There were many other people who helped others during the storm. We were happy to do our part,” he said.

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More from Headlines

A New York couple who sheltered 10 South Korean tourists from a blizzard got a 10-day, all-expenses paid tour of Seoul as a reward

• A couple from Buffalo were rewarded by South Korea for taking in Korean tourists during a blizzard.
• They received a 10-day, all-expenses paid tour in Seoul from the Korean Tourism Organization.
• There, they were hosted at the Four Seasons, ate four-course meals, and reunited with the tourists.

A New York couple who gave South Korean tourists a safe place to stay during a blizzard was rewarded richly — with a 10-day, all-expenses-paid tour of Seoul.

Alexander and Andrea Campagna arrived in the city on May 13 at the invitation of the  Korea Tourism Organization,  per the agency.

Treated like heroes by the local government, they lunched with tourism officials, were hosted at the Four Seasons, brought to restaurants on the Michelin guide, visited the capital's landmarks, toured the Demilitarized Zone, and showed around a Buddhist temple,  according to The New York Times.

Related stories

They also reunited with six of the tourists they invited into their Buffalo home more than five months ago — when a freak snowstorm in December stranded the South Korean group on their way to Niagra Falls.

Sharing a four-course meal with beef stew and chocolate éclairs in Seoul on Thursday, they recalled their time hiding away from the blizzard,  The Times wrote.

The tourists and their guide had knocked on the Campagnas' door, hoping to get shovels to dig their van out of a ditch.

But seeing the severity of the storm, the New York couple instead took the group in. For the next two days, the tourists  watched football and cooked meals with the Campagnas , sleeping on their couch, an air mattress, sleeping bags, and in the guest room.

The fierce weather eventually subsided on Christmas day, and drivers came to pick up the tourists.

"They endured the horrible storm with us," Andrea Campagna told  The Korea Herald . "When you spend time together in a disaster situation, you feel very bonded."

Scott Park, one of the tourists, told The Herald that the Campagnas made their guests feel right at home. "After our memorable time together, I thought I should do good deeds for others too," he said.

As word spread of their generosity, the Campagnas received well-wishes on social media, cards in the mail, and gifts from Korean groups —  like a year's supply of free fried chicken from a Korean barbecue franchise.

Watch: What it's like inside North Korea's controversial restaurant chain

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Winter storm death toll rises as recovery efforts and travel issues continue

By Aditi Sangal , Mike Hayes, Maureen Chowdhury , Elise Hammond and Tori B. Powell, CNN

New York couple opens home to 10 stranded South Korean tourists during winter storm

As the storm in Buffalo, New York, began to pick up, resident Andrea Campagna said she heard a knock on her home’s door, thinking that it may have been a neighbor. But to her surprise, two men were there asking for shovels and help, Campagna told CNN.

"My husband went out to help them," she recalled. "He got about 10 feet out and realized he couldn’t see anything. The snow was coming down really heavy and then they said, 'We’re part of a tour group.' And soon, ten people were in our home and freezing cold.”

Campagna and her husband hosted the group from South Korea for two days in their home, where they all cooked food together.

"I think that that was really comforting for all of them especially because during a blizzard, there's not much to do," Campagna said. "They had found out that we actually had our first date at a Korean restaurant and so all the women in the group got to cooking and they found out the dish that we had on our date and they recreated that dish for us."

Upon departing, one of the girls from the group wrote the couple a note. 

“Thanks to your help, I was able to survive,” the letter read. “Thanks to you, I’m bringing special memories. I will never forget your kindness. Thank you so much. Merry Christmas.” 

Campagna said the “heartwarming” letter “brought [her] to tears.”

“It was really our pleasure to help them," she said.

She added that several of the group members invited her and her husband to visit them in Korea.

"We really feel we've made lifelong friends," Campagna said.

Biden tells affected fliers his administration is "working to ensure airlines are held accountable"

From CNN's DJ Judd

President Joe Biden in a tweet Tuesday urged consumers to check if they’re eligible for compensation as cascading airline delays have disrupted holiday travel across the country. He told Americans that his administration is "working to ensure airlines are held accountable."

“Thousands of flights nationwide have been canceled around the holidays. Our Administration is working to ensure airlines are held accountable,” Biden tweeted . “If you’ve been affected by cancellations, go to @USDOT ’s dashboard to see if you’re entitled to compensation.  https://transportation.gov/airconsumer/airline-customer-service-dashboard .” 

Where things stand: More than 90% of Tuesday's US flight cancellations are Southwest , according to flight tracking website FlightAware. Southwest canceled 2,500 flights. The next highest: Spirit Airlines with 75.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg tweeted Monday  that his agency was monitoring  “Southwest’s unacceptable rate of cancellations and delays & reports of lack of prompt customer service,” and “tracking closely,” for more.

Meanwhile, Democratic Sens. Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut issued a new letter Tuesday calling on Southwest to pay up for what they say were avoidable holiday cancellations.

See Biden's tweet:

CNN's Lauren Fox contributed reporting to this post.

These are the places that got hit with the most snow in the last few days

From CNN's Mike Saenz and Nouran Salahieh

A perilous and prolonged winter storm that barreled across the nation over the past week brought heavy snow and blizzard conditions to parts of the US, as a major arctic blast plunged temperatures to dangerous levels in much of the country.

As it moved over the Great Lakes, the storm became a “ bomb cyclone ,” bringing blizzard and winter weather alerts along with whiteout conditions.  New York  state in particular saw heavy snowfall that stranded even emergency vehicles and caused widespread outages.

Here are the places that received some of the highest snow totals from this winter storm:

• Buffalo : 49.2 inches in three days — The city in western New York got a whopping 55.8 inches of snow this month. The last time Buffalo has received this much snow in a monthly period was back in December 2001, with a whopping 82.7 inches.
• Watertown : 41.1 inches in three days — Another city in New York, Watertown, was pummeled with snow as lake effect bands moved over the area, bringing dangerous blizzard conditions.
• Copenhagen : 30.1 inches in three days — Near Watertown, Copenhagen, a village in New York’s Lewis County, was buried in snow.
• Sault Ste. Marie : 10.9 inches in one day — The Michigan area set a daily maximum snowfall record with 10.9 inches of snow on Sunday. This beats the old record of 8 inches received back on Dec. 25, 1992.
• Grand Rapids : 10.5 inches in one day — A record snowfall fell at Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Saturday, breaking the previous record of 7.5 inches set in 1993.

Southwest cancelations and delays expected to continue for several more days, CEO says

From CNN's Forrest Brown, Karla Cripps and Barry Neild

Air travelers in the United States hoping for clear skies on Tuesday following a disastrous week of weather-related flight cancelations and delays will have to extend their patience a few more days — particularly if they're flying with Southwest Airlines.

Southwest warns that this week's cancelations and delays are expected to continue for several more days , with representatives saying the Dallas-based airline is planning to dial back its flight schedule in order to get operations on track.

Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan told The Wall Street Journal the company plans to operate just over a third of its schedule in upcoming days to give itself the ability for crews to get into the right positions.

The storm slammed two of its biggest hubs — Chicago and Denver — at a time when Covid and other winter ailments were stretching staff rosters. Southwest's aggressive schedule and underinvestment have also been blamed.

The winter storm that swept across the country was ill-timed for travelers who had started pushing Christmas week flying numbers back toward pre-pandemic levels.

Nationwide winter-storm related death toll rises to 52. Here's what we know about the deaths by state. 

From CNN staff

At least 52 storm-related deaths have been reported across several states:

New York : In addition to the 28 deaths in Erie County , one fatal carbon monoxide poisoning has been reported in Niagara County.

Colorado : Police in Colorado Springs reported two deaths related to the cold since Thursday, with one man found near a power transformer of a building, possibly seeking warmth, and another in a camp in an alleyway.

Kansas : Three people have died in weather-related traffic accidents, the Highway Patrol said Friday.

Kentucky : Three people have died, officials have said, including one involving a vehicle crash in Montgomery County.

Missouri : One person died after a van slid off an icy road and into a frozen creek, Kansas City police said.

Ohio : Nine people have died as a result of weather-related auto crashes, including four in a Saturday morning crash on Interstate 75, when a tractor-trailer crossed the median and collided with an SUV and a pickup, authorities said.

South Carolina:  Two men – including a 91-year-old who went outside on Christmas Day to fix a broken water pipe – died due to the storm in Anderson County, the coroner’s office there said. The other victim died on Christmas Eve after his home lost power.

Tennessee : The Department of Health on Friday confirmed one storm-related fatality.

Vermont : One woman in Castleton died after a tree fell on her home, according to the police chief.

Wisconsin : The State Patrol on Thursday reported one fatal crash due to winter weather.

Erie County is preparing for possible flooding due to rapidly melting snow as temperatures rise

Erie County officials said that they are preparing for possible flooding conditions later in the week as temperatures rise in the region and the snow begins to melt rapidly.

Dan Nevers, Erie County emergency services commissioner, said Tuesday that they are working to get the snow "cleared from curb to curb" in as many areas as possible in an effort to mitigate the chance of flooding.

"We are a little bit concerned about it," Nevers said.

Local officials expect that the area could see temperatures drop to 50 degrees later in the week.

New York’s Erie County storm-related death toll rises to 28, county official says 

From CNN's Artemis Moshtaghian

At least 28 have died due to the winter storm that hit New York state over the Christmas weekend, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz shared in an update on Tuesday.

Monday night, Poloncarz said the death toll for Erie County stood at 27. On Tuesday, the Department of Health announced three additional weather-related deaths but disqualified two deaths that were previously considered weather related. 

Poloncarz addressed the discrepancy in death toll numbers saying that Erie County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the first two weather related deaths that were reported in Cheektowaga were actually medical conditions that “were not save-able.” 

Erie County executive to Buffalo residents: "Please, please, please do not drive in the city"

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz implored people "please, please, please do not drive in the city of Buffalo" where a traffic ban has been implemented.

Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Poloncarz said that 100 military police and additional New York State police are being brought in to "manage traffic control" in the city because "too many people" are ignoring the ban.

All of Erie County has a driving advisory in place, but Buffalo is the only city with an outright driving ban.

"It is ugly right now on many of the streets," Poloncarz said, noting that when he rode around the city in an emergency vehicle he felt like he was driving "three feet above ground."

"I am begging, stay home," Poloncarz said, adding that in case of emergency people should call 911.

Erie County Undersheriff William Cooley said his office has reallocated a lot of its personnel to accommodate emergency service requests.

“Critical demands of the sheriff's office continue, and they include transportation of dialysis patients and people in need of medical care,” Cooley said. “We're also assisting with medical personnel and getting them to local hospitals and getting them into assisted living facilities and other essential operations.”

The undersheriff said his office has detectives working on these missions, and people normally assigned to work in county buildings and in the agency’s civil division that are out on the roads helping out with emergency service requests.

CNN’s Celina Tebor contributed reporting to this post.

All major highways in western New York are now open

From CNN's Artemis Moshtaghian

All major highways across western New York, including the New York State Thruway, are now open, according to an  update  from the state's Department of Transportation’s regional office in Rochester.

“This is a sign that we are finally turning the corner on this once-in-a-generation storm,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a tweet. “Please continue to follow local advisories & stay safe.”

See her tweet below:

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A New York couple who sheltered 10 South Korean tourists from a blizzard got a 10-day, all-expenses paid tour of Seoul as a reward

• A couple from Buffalo were rewarded by South Korea for taking in Korean tourists during a blizzard.
• They received a 10-day, all-expenses paid tour in Seoul from the Korean Tourism Organization.

A New York couple who gave South Korean tourists a safe place to stay during a blizzard was rewarded richly — with a 10-day, all-expenses-paid tour of Seoul.

Alexander and Andrea Campagna arrived in the city on May 13 at the invitation of the Korea Tourism Organization, per the agency.

Treated like heroes by the local government, they lunched with tourism officials, were hosted at the Four Seasons, brought to restaurants on the Michelin guide, visited the capital's landmarks, toured the Demilitarized Zone, and showed around a Buddhist temple, according to The New York Times.

They also reunited with six of the tourists they invited into their Buffalo home more than five months ago — when a freak snowstorm in December stranded the South Korean group on their way to Niagra Falls.

Sharing a four-course meal with beef stew and chocolate éclairs in Seoul on Thursday, they recalled their time hiding away from the blizzard, The Times wrote.

The tourists and their guide had knocked on the Campagnas' door, hoping to get shovels to dig their van out of a ditch.

But seeing the severity of the storm, the New York couple instead took the group in. For the next two days, the tourists watched football and cooked meals with the Campagnas , sleeping on their couch, an air mattress, sleeping bags, and in the guest room.

The fierce weather eventually subsided on Christmas day, and drivers came to pick up the tourists.

"They endured the horrible storm with us," Andrea Campagna told The Korea Herald . "When you spend time together in a disaster situation, you feel very bonded."

Scott Park, one of the tourists, told The Herald that the Campagnas made their guests feel right at home. "After our memorable time together, I thought I should do good deeds for others too," he said.

As word spread of their generosity, the Campagnas received well-wishes on social media, cards in the mail, and gifts from Korean groups — like a year's supply of free fried chicken from a Korean barbecue franchise.

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Nightly news, buffalo couple takes in stranded tourists amid monstrous winter storm.

The historic blizzard in Buffalo, New York, stranded a bus full of nine South Korean tourists and their driver. Alex and Andrea Campagna took them into their home and offered food and shelter. NBC News’ Jesse Kirsch shares their story of kindness. Dec. 27, 2022

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U.S. couple that took in Korean tourists invited to Korea

Andrea Campagna, center, and Alexander Campagna pose for a photo with officials from the Korea Tourism Organization on Monday. [KOREA TOURISM ORGANIZATION]

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Buffalo couple hosts stranded South Korean tourists

BUFFALO, N.Y. — A couple in Buffalo, New York, helped a group of tourists stranded in the snow.

Ten travelers, most who were from South Korea, were making their way to Niagara Falls from Washington, D.C., CNN and The New York Times reported.

On Friday, the Campagna's heard a knock on their front door around 2 p.m.

Two men were standing there asking for shovels because their van got stuck in the snow, the news outlets reported.

Alexander Campagna went outside to help but couldn't see anything, his wife Andrea told CNN.

"He got about 10 feet out and realized he couldn't see anything, Andrea Campagna told CNN. "The snow was coming down really heavy, and then they said they were part of a tour group. Soon 10 people were in our home, and they were freezing cold."

The visitors stayed for 2 nights and passed the time by cooking meals, the news outlets reported.

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NY couple invites group of stranded S. Korean tourists into their home during Christmas weekend

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South Korean Tourists Stuck In Snow Make An Interesting Blizzard For WNY Couple

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There's been a lot of depressing and sad news this weekend due to the blizzard in Buffalo, but this story is heart warming! A tour bus carrying 10 tourists, most from South Korea, who were headed to Niagara Falls, ended up getting stuck in snow during the blizzard. Imagine being from a different country, coming to see Niagara Falls, but instead, seeing snow, ice, and whiteout conditions. As much as the tourists were surprised by the situation they found themselves in, a Williamsville couple was just as surprised by the unexpected house guests they were about to have. Alexander Campagna, a dentist, shared a photo of what became maybe the most interesting blizzard holiday dinner ever in WNY,

2pm frantic knock on the door today during the worst blizzard i've experienced, was from a Korean tour-group of ten en route from DC to Niagara Falls, whose bus got stuck and remains stuck in front of our house. A Festivus surprise for all:

According to the New York Times , the seven women and three men, somehow fit into Campagna's three-bedroom house. The tourists included a couple from South Korea, who recently married and were on their honeymoon, two friends from Seoul, a college student from Indiana, and parents with their daughter.

To pass the time during the brutal blizzard, they watched the Buffalo Bills beat down the Chicago Bears. They also enjoyed a Korean dinner cooked by their guests. Campagna and his wife enjoy Korean food, so they had plenty of ingredients at their home. Replying to comments on his Facebook page, Campagna wrote,

the one lady made use of a bunch of our defrosted chicken, korean spices/sauces, rice, and made a FEAST! They made use of ingredients we had: chicken, gochugaru, kimchi, green onions, soy sauce, mirin, rice wine vinegar, sugar.... made some amazing dish served with rice! annnnnnd there was the ramyum.

This is such a great story. Campagna, his wife, and the tourists had a once-in-a-lifetime experience during a historic blizzard. They will remember those moments for the rest of their lives!

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Buffalo, N.Y Couple opens up their home to stranded travelers for the weekend

Alex campagna and andrea schmitt welcomed 10 tourists from south korea into their home after the group became stranded in the middle of a winter storm while on their way to niagara falls., december 26, 2022, what’s next for russia, what comes next after texas school shooting, what's next for abortion rights in america, the new battle for voting rights, how we can build a clean and renewable future, the fight for kyiv, examining extremism in the military, gun violence: an american epidemic, border crisis: what’s happening at the us-mexico border, remembering george floyd: a year of protest, the source of covid-19: what we know, how did the gamestop stock spike on wall street happen, why are people hesitant to trust a covid-19 vaccine, how climate change and forest management make wildfires harder to contain, disparity in police response: black lives matter protests and capitol riot, 2020 in review: a year unlike any other, examined: how putin keeps power, why don’t the electoral college and popular vote always match up, us crosses 250,000 coronavirus deaths, 2nd impeachment trial: what this could mean for trump, presidential transition of power: examined, how donald trump spent his last days as president, how joe biden's inauguration will be different from previous years, belarus’ ongoing protests: examined, trump challenges the vote and takes legal action, 2020’s dnc and rnc are different than any before, what is happening with the usps, voting in 2020 during covid-19, disinformation in 2020, abc news specials on, impact x nightline: on the brink, impact x nightline: unboxing shein, the lady bird diaries, impact x nightline: it's britney, impact x nightline: natalee holloway -- a killer confesses, impact x nightline: who shot tupac, impact x nightline, power trip: those who seek power and those who chase them, the murders before the marathon, the ivana trump story: the first wife, mormon no more, leave no trace: a hidden history of the boy scouts, keeper of the ashes: the oklahoma girl scout murders, the orphans of covid: america's hidden toll, superstar: patrick swayze, the kardashians -- an abc news special, 24 months that changed the world, have you seen this man.

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10 South Korean tourists were stranded in a blizzard near Buffalo. They spent 2 nights in a stranger's home, cooking and watching football.

A van carrying 10 tourists got stuck in the snow near Buffalo, New York, on Friday.

One couple who lived nearby welcomed the stranded group — they stayed for two nights.

The visitors, who were mostly from South Korea, passed time by cooking meals with their hosts.

When their van got stuck in the snow in Williamsville, New York, on Friday, a South Korean tour group found refuge with a good Samaritan who sheltered them through the blizzard.

The group of 10 travelers — which included nine tourists from South Korea — were making their way to Niagara Falls from Washington, DC, when they found themselves in the middle of a blizzard. Two men in the group decided to knock on a door to ask for shovels to try to get their van out of a ditch.

They ended up with a place to stay until they could be picked up on Sunday after the storm cleared, The New York Times reported .

Alex Campagna, a dentist, said on Facebook that at about 2 p.m. on Friday, during "the worst blizzard I've experienced," he heard a "frantic knock on the door."

Campagna and his wife ended up inviting the 10 people in, putting them up on couches, in sleeping bags, on an air mattress, and in a spare bedroom, The Times reported. Campagna told the newspaper he didn't want to let the group back out on the roads, adding that he knew, "as a Buffalonian, this is on another level, the Darth Vader of storms."

Choi Yoseob, a member of the tour group that Campagna hosted, told The Times it was "kind of like fate" that they'd ended up at the home of a hospitable family with a full pantry.

"We have enjoyed this so much," Choi said, describing the experience as unforgettable and a "unique blessing."

The group spent Friday and Saturday swapping stories and cooking with their hosts. The Times report said they watched an NFL game on Christmas Eve and made several Korean meals, adding that Campagna and his wife are fans of Korean food themselves and had ingredients needed to make jeyuk bokkeum, stir-fried pork, and dakdori tang, a spicy chicken stew.

If the travelers had stayed for Christmas dinner on Sunday, the group likely would have made bulgogi, the report said.

Drivers picked up the tourists on Sunday when roads were cleared and brought them back to New York City, the report said. Choi said he and his wife planned to stay for New Year's Eve. The others are scheduled to fly back to South Korea this week.

Choi and Campagna did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

Read the original article on Insider

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9 Korean tourists got stranded in snow outside a New York house. They spent Christmas weekend with the homeowners

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Mr Alexander Campagna (left most) and his wife, Andrea, with the nine stranded South Korean tourists and their driver in their home. The guests prepared Korean dishes, like spicy stir-fried pork, during the holiday weekend.

NEW YORK — Alexander Campagna and his wife, Andrea, lifelong residents of Buffalo, New York, were ready to wait the blizzard out.

They had stocked the fridge and planned for a quiet holiday weekend indoors at their home in suburban Williamsville, as long as the power stayed on.

Then, on Friday at 2 pm, with the storm already swirling and snow rapidly piling up, making roads impassable, there was a knock at the door.

Two men, part of a group of nine tourists from South Korea that was travelling to Niagara Falls, asked for shovels to dig their passenger van out of a ditch.

And so an unlikely holiday weekend began, with the Campagnas welcoming the travellers, along with their driver, as house guests.

They became “accidental innkeepers,” said Mr Campagna, a 40-year-old dentist.

Before leaving Friday morning from Washington, D.C., the tour participants, most of them from Seoul, seemed unaware of the worrisome forecast, said Yoseb Choi, 27, who is from Pyeongtaek.

He was travelling with his wife, Claire, on the tour, which they had booked for their honeymoon.

A day earlier, he had grown concerned after receiving messages from friends alerting him to the coming storm. On Friday, the van ride was slippery and windy, and the passengers had become anxious, he said.

Then, after hours of watching the weather deteriorate outside the van’s windows, they ended up stranded near the Campagna house, Mr Choi said.

The Campagnas, well aware of the dangers the storm presented, immediately invited the travellers in, “knowing, as a Buffalonian, this is on another level, the Darth Vader of storms,” Mr Campagna said.

The visitors — seven women and three men — filled the three-bedroom house, sleeping on couches, sleeping bags, an air mattress and in the home’s guest bedroom.

The other travellers included parents with their daughter, an Indiana college student, and two college-age friends from Seoul. Three of them spoke English proficiently.

They spent the weekend swapping stories, watching the Buffalo Bills defeat the Chicago Bears on Christmas Eve and sharing delicious Korean home-cooked meals prepared by the guests, like jeyuk bokkeum, a spicy stir-fried pork dish, and dakdori tang, a chicken stew laced with fiery red pepper.

To the surprise and glee of the Korean guests, Mr Campagna and his wife, who are both fans of Korean food, had all the necessary condiments on hand: Mirin, soy sauce, Korean red pepper paste, sesame oil and chili flakes. There was also kimchi and a rice cooker.

“It was kind of like fate,” Mr Choi said, remarking on the luck of arriving at the Campagnas’ doorstep with their fully stocked kitchen and unhesitating hospitality. He said the hosts were “the kindest people I have ever met”.

One of the guests, the mother of the Indiana college student, was a fabulous cook, he said.

“We destroyed so much food,” he added.

Mr Campagna said that the unexpected guests had been a delight.

“We have enjoyed this so much,” he said, calling it a “unique blessing,” and adding that the experience has inspired the couple to plan a visit to South Korea. “We will never forget this.”

Mr Choi said he had spent some of his high school years learning English in Michigan and Kansas, but his wife had never been to the US, so the tour was a chance to travel to several cities she was eager to see.

The plan had been to visit New York City, Washington, Niagara Falls and Montreal.

After landing in New York City on Dec 21 for the tour, which was operated by a South Korean company called Yellow Balloon, they visited the Empire State Building and the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, took the ferry to the Statue of Liberty, browsed the Museum of Modern Art and checked out the Oculus at the World Trade Center, all in one day.

In Washington, they visited the White House, the Lincoln Memorial and one of the Smithsonian museums.

“We were tired, but it was exciting,” Mr Choi said. Even the unexpected snow disaster contributed to the experience, he said, allowing the couple to experience a “warm welcome from real Americans”.

“We are happy and luckily and gracefully having a great Christmas with Andrea and Alex,” Mr Choi said.

On Sunday, the snow was winding down and the road was plowed, but the van remained stuck.

Drivers arrived to pick up the tourists, who were returning to New York City, where most of them will fly back to South Korea in the middle of the week.

Mr Choi said he and his wife will stay a bit longer to celebrate New Year’s Day in Times Square.

Had they been stranded for another night, they had been thinking bulgogi — Korean grilled beef — for Christmas dinner.

This article originally appeared in  The New York Times .

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MLB expands global reach with help from Asian stars, international platform

SEOUL — When Peter O’Malley arrived in this city in September 1993 to recruit a gifted but relatively obscure college pitcher named Chan Ho Park, the Los Angeles Dodgers president did not come as a complete stranger to a foreign land. O’Malley already had paid more than a few visits to South Korea and some of its neighboring countries.

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He traveled to Asia and other parts of the world as he campaigned for baseball’s inclusion as a medal sport in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. He built youth and adult baseball fields in Tianjin, China. He got to know the family that ran the South Korean conglomerate Samsung Group, and he hosted the Korea Baseball Organization’s Samsung Lions for spring training at Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Fla.

As an international pioneer and the owner of a storied franchise, O’Malley dreamt of the possibilities on the other side of the Pacific Ocean. Now, with Major League Baseball putting on its first regular-season game in South Korea on Wednesday, he and Park are continuing to realize those dreams.

“It’s full circle,” O’Malley, 86, said earlier this month. “Chan Ho comes over (to the U.S.), does what he does, and now the Dodgers and the Padres are playing a real game, a meaningful game in South Korea. That’s major. That’s things that Hollywood movies are made out of. Just imagine being Chan Ho.”

Some three decades later, the power of inspiration will be on full display. The two-game series this week between the Dodgers and Padres will feature Japan’s Shohei Ohtani , arguably the most gifted baseball player ever; countryman Yoshinobu Yamamoto , owner of the largest contract ever for a pitcher; and South Korea’s Ha-Seong Kim , the first Asian-born infielder to win a Gold Glove Award. Kim’s close friend, center fielder Jung Hoo Lee , recently signed a $113 million deal with the San Francisco Giants before he had played an inning on American soil.

In Asia, meanwhile, the influence of the major-league game arguably has never been more prominent.

“It’s just good to see, even here in Korea, to see the Dodger hats around Seoul,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “And I can’t imagine the Dodger hats that are walking around all of Japan now. So it’s an exciting time not only for Los Angeles, Major League Baseball but all over the world.”

“It’s the first time I’ve ever been to this part of the world,” Padres third baseman Manny Machado said, “so to come here and play in front of these people and take in their culture and take in their atmosphere … it’s been pretty cool. I mean, there’s cheerleaders in the stands. That’s pretty cool. I think we got to bring this to the States. As we’re hitting, keep the walkup (music) going. I think we can take a couple things back home from this experience.

“(MLB commissioner Rob) Manfred wants to do new things, right? You know, add new rules?” Machado added with a grin. “I think this is a pretty good one right here.”

MLB should soon be back in this part of the world. A regular-season return to Japan, which hosted the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics in 2019, could happen next year. With Ohtani and Yamamoto in tow, it would be among that country’s biggest sporting moments ever — and a reminder of what overseas outreach can produce, even if it takes years or decades to realize.

In 1956, O’Malley joined his parents, Walter and Kay, and his sister, Terry, on the then-Brooklyn Dodgers’ first Goodwill Tour to Japan. This offseason, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Ohtani to the largest deal in baseball history.

Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers keep mum in aftermath of interpreter theft accusation

“It’s a natural for Ohtani to be with the Dodgers,” said O’Malley, whose late nephew, Peter Seidler, owned the Padres and brought Park and Nomo into San Diego’s front office. “It’s definitely the best place for him, without a question.

“That background of Dodgers and Japan helped us with Hideo, there’s no doubt about it. And I don’t know if it helps Ohtani or not. I just think it’s a natural for Ohtani to be playing in Los Angeles. Our roots are pretty deep in Japan.”

Monday morning, before the Padres faced the LG Twins in an exhibition at Gocheok Sky Dome, Park wore sunglasses and a stylish outfit as he stood in San Diego’s dugout inside the domed stadium, soaking in the sights and sounds of batting practice. The Padres baseball operations advisor is 50 now, but still trim and appearing like a man younger than his age. Rock stars have a way of transcending generations, and in this country, Park remains nothing short of a celebrity.

Yet Park himself was once an unabashed dreamer, even after he became, in 1994, the first South Korean-born player to reach the majors (thanks in part to O’Malley’s not-so-secret hope for his new signee to break camp with the Dodgers out of spring training). In 1995, as Park toiled far from the glamor of Dodger Stadium in Triple A, he watched Hideo Nomo — another O’Malley recruit — become the National League Rookie of the Year and the first Japanese player to permanently relocate to the big leagues. The next season, Nomo and Park became Dodgers teammates on a full-time basis.

“I saw through the TV fans going crazy, a lot of Japanese fans in the stands,” Park said recently. “So then I realized, ‘Oh, I was so honored (to already have played at Dodger Stadium), and I want to go back there and pitch again in the major leagues. I think Nomo helped me come back to the major leagues.”

(Top photo of Shohei Ohtani ad in Tokyo: Yuichi Yamakazi / Getty Images)

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