"Philanthropy, charity, giving voluntarily and freely... call it what you like, but it is truly a jewel of an American tradition." John F. Kennedy's words remind us of the ingredients lost or, one hopes, merely misplaced in the fractured, hyper-partisan and downright tribalistic landscape of modern social discourse: a pinch of kindness, a dash of compassion. Anyone looking for a vestige of such quaint notions would do well to meet Roger Smith, the ping-pong angel of Palo Alto, California. The Bay Area benefactor has taken it upon himself to keep the good times rolling at his city's downtown Lytton Plaza. While the city of Palo Alto got the proverbial ball rolling by installing donated public tables in June of 2019, they failed to budget for the ongoing cost of equipment. When the inexpensive recreational balls and paddles inevitably break, it's game over. According to Palo Alto city spokeswoman Meghan Horrigan-Taylor, the city’s Community Services Department bore the cost of replacing the equipment for a few months. Then, one day, they inexplicably stopped picking up the tab. Enter Roger Smith (pictured). Seeing the tables lying dormant for lack of equipment, he took it upon himself to buy new paddles and balls. Then those broke too, so he did it again. And again. And again. And... well, you get the idea. Smith averages three deliveries every week to keep the public playing. His out-of-pocket costs average $200 every month. When this was brought to the city's attention, they responded that they were seeking "outside funding" to buy their own equipment. In the meantime, the issue has been rendered temporarily moot by the COVID-19 pandemic, which precludes sharing equipment. People are still free to play, provided they provide their own gear. "Once the shelter-in-place is lifted," reassures councilwoman Horrigan-Taylor, "we will continue to seek funding to keep a supply available for public use." Regardless of whether the city of Palo Alto follows through on this promise, the initiative and generosity of Smith give us hope that, if the people lead, the leaders will follow. An "aw, shucks" kind of guy, Smith would surely be embarrassed by the heroic fanfare of brass instruments he richly deserves. "It warms my heart when I see families playing or people playing," he explains. "We have those nice new tables… To me, if you have ping-pong tables, you don’t want them to just be idle." Roger Smith is certainly not one to just be idle. To the contrary, he is truly a jewel of the American tradition.

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