High school seniors successfully raised a quarter of a million dollars for their beloved 80-year-old janitor, who was forced to return to work after his rent increased.
The money was raised through a GoFundMe, which started out as a simple goal of $10,000, but quickly took on a goal of its own.
Several seniors at Callisburg High School in Texas noticed their school had a new janitor: “Mr. James” an 80-year-old former retiree whose rent had gone up $400 and needed a job to support it.
Believing they could there’s always something anyone can do to help out; they got the idea to open a GoFundMe to help 80-year-old Mr. James get back to doing 80-year-old things.
“It’s crazy to see something that, we knew people would have wanted to help,” said senior Marti Yousko, “But we didn’t know it would blow up.”
Thurman stated that his 2,000 followers were enough to spread the word about the fundraiser. The TikTok video and GoFundMe campaign were able to raise $10,000 in just 12 hours, with most of the donations coming from students
“It’s just amazing,” said Principal Jason Hooper, ”You know of the need that was met because of three kind kids, but of all of our students who have pitched in to help that need.”
Local news reported on the fund drive in mid-February when there was still a 5-digit sum on the table, but it had to be turned off after passing $270,000 in order to get Mr. James the money as soon as possible.
Donations poured in from across the country and even internationally, with many sending their best wishes for the janitor’s happy retirement and congratulating the students on their brilliant initiative.
Truly, nothing beats the beauty of kindness; nothing is more powerful than a multitude united in kindness.