Crossing guard knits mittens for Babson Park Elementary students

BABSON PARK, Fla. (FOX 13) - A school crossing guard is protecting her students from more than just cars. She's taking on the weather, too.

Patty Polley gave mittens to more than 70 students at Babson Park Elementary School. Most of the mittens Polley knitted herself, the rest were donated by her sister who lives in Maine.

"They add so much joy to my life I have no little grandchildren left, they've grown up, this gives me a reason to come to work in the morning," said Polley, who has been a school crossing guard for three years.

She said she got the idea last year when she noticed one of the students was not bundled up on a cold day.

"There was one day, actually last year it started, one of my favorite little guys came and his hands were up inside of his sleeves and he was cold," said Polley, "and I asked him if he had gloves or mittens, and he said no."

She made him a pair and this summer started knitting more for the winter season.

"Whether they have gloves or not she made sure that they all came to school prepared, and felt warmth from her, not just from the gloves, but just from the kind and caring heart that she has," said Tammy Bracewell, a grandmother to one of the students who was gifted a pair of mittens.

Polley said she will probably make it a yearly tradition.