Baltimore native Mike Rowe is switching from doing dirty jobs, to highlighting do-gooders. And a seamstress from Maryland is the latest to be featured on his Facebook show "Returning the Favor."
Denise Simmons came to the rescue of dozens of brides after the Alfred Angelo Bridal store in Glen Burnie and across the country suddenly closed. Thousands of brides and bridesmaids nationwide were left without a dress for their big day.
Simmons lost her job, but refused to let the event ruin dozens of weddings. So she took over 80 wedding dresses to her home in Columbia, and altered them for free.
"I just did my job," Simmons said. "After they stopped paying you to do your job," countered Rowe. "Yeah, but you don't just start something and then say 'hey, this is your dress, take it somewhere else,'" said Simmons.
Rowe came to Glen Burnie to talk with Simmons as well as some of the brides and bridesmaids she helped. One bride said she found out on Facebook that Alfred Angelo Bridal had closed. Despite texting Simmons at 10:30p.m., she said the seamstress responded "she's like 'I have your dress, it's one of like 82 dresses I have.' She said 'meet me here', and she did it free of charge."
When sitting down with Simmons, Rowe asked her about what she plans to do next, since she's out of a job. Simmons mentioned she'd love to drive an ice cream truck, never imagining that Rowe was not just there to tell her story, but also help her out.
At the end of the episode Rowe hosted a surprise party for Simmons with many of the brides she helped. He unveiled a picture of an ice cream truck, explaining "we couldn't get the ice cream truck here overnight, because it's a freaking ice cream truck and it's complicated."
Instead Rowe presented her with a check for nearly $50,000, mentioning she doesn't have to buy an ice cream truck if she doesn't want to.
So far the Baltimore native has highlighted 10 do-gooders on his show. You can see the previous episodes and suggest someone to be featured on the show on the "Returning the Favor"Facebook page.
