A remarkable story from the Christmas blizzard blanketing the Northeastern United States featured the kind of ‘smash and grab' we all need to hear about.

The school's alarm went off at Edge Academy on Christmas Eve, but due to the ‘worst snow storm in a generation‘ the local police near Buffalo, New York, were unable to quickly respond.

When the Cheektowaga Police did arrive, they found one of the windows had been broken out—but checking the school building, they found nothing out of place.

They thought maybe the damage was caused from the hurricane-force winds—untill they saw a handwritten note left on a table.

The note started with an apology for causing damage to the window—and having to borrow the snow blower to rescue others who had run out of gas while trapped in their cars.

"Got stuck at 8 p.m. Friday and slept in my truck with two strangers. Just trying not to die."

"There were 7 elderly people also stuck and out of fuel. I had to do it to save everyone and get them shelter and food and a bathroom."

The note was signed, Merry Christmas, Jay.

When officers watched the video surveillance from the school, they were astonished. "We witnessed people taking care of people," said a report on the Department's Facebook Page.

After breaking in, Jay went back out into the storm and found others who were freezing in their cars, and brought them inside—24 in total, and 2 dogs.

In the school, he found granola bars, water, and blankets in the nurses office, and gathered apples, juice, and cereal from the kitchen.

Kids played in the gym and adults watched football games and storm updates on television, while the hours on Saturday turned into a Christmas Day Sunday, spent sheltering at the school.

"When they were finally able to leave safely, you never would have known anyone was there," said the police on Facebook. "This group of amazing people cleaned up all the tables… and the building they found shelter in."

"There was a freezer full of food but no one touched it. They only ate what was necessary to stay alive.

Soon, police wanted to identify the mysterious ‘Jay,' so they could commend him for "actions that one-hundred-percent saved lives".

After they did find the 27-year-old, they announced on Facebook: ‘Because of Jay Withey, people are still alive.'

Sandy Black was one of those people. She said, "It was an ordeal but thanks to Jay we all had a place to stay warm." (See the video below…)

Jay even used the school's snowblower to dig out other stuck cars, to help clear the streets for plows.

"I'm just grateful that I had the opportunity, and I had the will to do it," Jay told ABC News.

The group is "like family" now—and is already planning a reunion in Spring.

Mario Johnson vowed to return to the school after Christmas to replace the snacks they ate and the water they drank. He also inquired about the cost of the window.

Not only did the school declined to press charges, they told Mario not to worry about it, when he offered several times to pay for the broken window. "They're just happy that we were safe and warm."

"My mom and I are so appreciative to our guardian Angel," Johnson wrote on Facebook. "Jay is now my little brother for life."

"The selflessness that people showed to help others during the storm is what Western NY is really made of," concluded the Police spokesperson.

Watch the amazing video from ABC below…

SHARE The Awesome Hero Story On Social Media—to Start Your NEW YEAR Right…