Webster Honors Late Hero with Spring Yard Cleanup Day

When Tom Smock died in 2023, the town of Webster, New York, lost more than a parks employee. They lost a champion of neighborly kindness who spent decades making life better for everyone around him.

Now his legacy lives on through Helping Heroes Day, a volunteer event that channels his spirit of service into something beautifully practical: spring yard cleanup for residents who need a helping hand.

On May 9, volunteers will fan out across Webster to rake leaves, pull weeds, and spread mulch for neighbors who can't manage the work themselves. It's simple, sweaty labor that makes a world of difference when your yard has become overwhelming.

The Webster Parks and Recreation Department is partnering with Webster Rotary Club to organize the event. Smock served as president of that Rotary Club while working for the parks department, always looking for ways to strengthen community ties.

"This event is a culmination of the overwhelming spirit of altruism we are so fortunate to have right here in our town," said Julie Schillaci, Webster's recreation supervisor. That spirit didn't start with this event, but it found a perfect expression in it.

Smock's career was built on helping others. He broke barriers as one of the first male nurses to graduate from RIT's Genesee School of Nursing, then spent most of his career at Kodak Medical before becoming an independent nurse.

His final chapter at Webster Parks and Recreation brought together his professional care for others with his love for his hometown. Colleagues say he took genuine pride in helping both the building and the broader community thrive.

Why This Inspires

What makes this story special isn't just that a town is honoring someone. It's that they're honoring him by doing exactly what he would have done: showing up for neighbors who need support.

Grief often stops with memorials and plaques. Webster chose action instead. They took the sadness of losing someone good and transformed it into an annual tradition that multiplies his impact.

Every yard cleaned, every elderly neighbor relieved of an impossible task, every volunteer who discovers the joy of practical service extends Tom Smock's legacy one shovelful at a time.

Volunteers can register through May 1 and will meet at the Webster Recreation Center at 8:30 a.m. on event day. When kindness becomes tradition, everyone wins.