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2019 Man of the Year: Sam Caruana

Sam Caruana / YouTube screenshot
December 27, 2019

Waiting in line for the grand opening of a Chick-Fil-A in a Buffalo, N.Y., suburb, 11-year-old Sam Caruana was asked by the local NBC affiliate why he would stand outside for hours on a November night in subzero weather.

In Sam's now-immortal words, "Well, uh, I'm here in the freezing cold getting free chicken sandwiches … because the food tastes great. I mean there's no, there's no, I mean, it's chicken! It's fried, it's fried chicken. I like fried chicken."

Truer words have never been spoken.

Nor have they been spoken with such wisdom and authority by an 11-year-old (with the body and voice of a young Wilford Brimley). The video went viral, with more than 11 million views. "He's really a 47 year old union steamfitter," one viewer on YouTube commented. "I bought a car from this kid last week!" joked another. "Those 11-year-old journeyman plumbers love their fried chicken," someone else said on Twitter.

As one of the first 100 customers at the Cheektowaga Chick-Fil-A, Sam not only gets free chicken sandwiches for a whole year, but also the whole meal deal—a chicken sandwich, waffle fries, and a drink—once a week for 52 weeks.

Frankly, he deserves free chicken for life. Sam has a love for all the things that make America great. When asked by the NBC affiliate in a follow-up interview what he loves best about Buffalo, Sam said, "The food, the sports, and generally just the people here are great, and it's just so many great things that I can't list, I love the fair, I love it here."

We can't think of a better spokesman for one of America's most beloved restaurant chains—the highest rated chain four years in a row by the American Customer Satisfaction Index.

Congratulations, Sam Caruana. You are a Washington Free Beacon Man of the Year!

Published under: Men of the Year