Mother Raises $35,000 Reward
Adrian Wood knew that Raymond Brown, the head custodian at White Oak Elementary in Edenton, North Carolina, was someone special when she saw how he welcomed and bonded with her son, Amos. Amos has autism, which makes forming friendships with his classmates challenging. However, Brown had no such problems befriending the timid 7-year-old.
“He got attached to me, and I got attached to him, so I gave him the name ‘Famous Amos,’” Brown told a local news station.
Brown was popular with all of the students at the school, as well as the faculty and many of the parents — including Adrian Wood. So, when students saw that their favorite grown-up in the whole school had given Amos a cool nickname, it drew them to Amos as well. His mother couldn’t have been more grateful for Brown’s initial act of kindness. That’s why, when the head custodian was passed over for the North Carolina School Hero Award, which he had been nominated for last year, Wood initiated a community-wide effort to show Brown just how much everyone appreciated his work and his kindness. Wood took to her blog on Facebook to share about her experience with the head custodian and how he’d been kind to her son. Within a week, she’d raised $35,000 and a plan to present it to Brown in a surprise ceremony, which fell right on Brown and his wife’s 38th wedding anniversary. Hundreds of people gathered to show their appreciation for Brown, including Brown’s children, the mayor of Edenton, the chief of police, and Miss North Carolina. Then, he was presented with a $35,000 honorarium nicknamed “The Famous Amos Award.” In a world where simple acts of kindness often go unnoticed, it’s good to know that there are people willing to be kind without expecting anything in return and people who want to reward them anyway.
FOR HERO CUSTODIAN WHO BEFRIENDED HER SON
Have a Laugh!
Easy way out on Pg. 4
Specialized Insurance Programs for Specialized Industries. • www.INSURICA.com • 3
Made with FlippingBook Publishing Software