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| ▲ In this photo posted on the Facebook account of Alexander Campagna, he, his wife and 10 stranded travelers from South Korea pose for a photo after a dinner party on Dec. 24, 2022. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
(LEAD) Genesis BBQ-gift
(LEAD) Genesis BBQ to gift American couple with 1-year voucher for helping stranded S. Korean travelers
(ATTN: UPDATES with comments by one member of American couple and 1 of 9 tourists in paras 5-6, 8-9)
SEOUL, Jan. 5 (Yonhap) -- Genesis BBQ Co., the operator of BBQ Chicken, a South Korean fried chicken franchise, said Thursday it will provide free fried chicken for a year to an American couple who sheltered a group of Korean tourists stranded in a blizzard last month.
"Genesis BBQ will gift the Alexander and Andrea Campagna couple a free voucher to eat our fried chicken for one year to express our sincere gratitude for their courage and hospitality," the company said in a statement.
On Dec. 23, the Campagna couple helped a group of nine travelers from South Korea and a driver, whose van got stuck in heavy snow in Williamsville, New York.
The Buffalo natives invited the travelers inside their home, where they spent two nights over the Christmas holiday, swapping stories, watching football and sharing Korean home-cooked meals, including chicken stew, The New York Times reported.
Alexander Campagna said he and his wife had such a lovely experience with the kind and gracious Korean guests during the year-end festivities, calling it "our honor and duty" as human beings to take care of people in desperate need of help.
"When bb.q Chicken contacted us about this offer to not only experience their delicious food but to give us free fried chicken for a year, we were so surprised and touched by this incredibly generous gift," he told Yonhap News Agency in a written message, referring to the brand name of Genesis BBQ in the United States.
The voucher will be delivered to the couple next Wednesday (local time), the company said.
Choi Yoseob, one of the nine South Korean tourists, applauded Genesis BBQ for giving a "big gift" to Alexander and Andrea Campagna.
"I am very pleased that Genesis BBQ gave the couple the gift, a reminder of the memory, even though the company does not have to care about things that happen to Koreans overseas," Choi told Yonhap.
BBQ Chicken is the third-largest fried chicken franchise in South Korea in terms of sales. The company operates 250 restaurants in the United States.
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