Garrett Jones’ six-second video quickly sparked a wave of generosity that would pay off thousands of dollars worth of student lunch debt.
“School lunch should be free,” wrote Jones, a five-year educator of Heber City’s Rocky Mountain Middle School, in the viral clip’s caption.
The seventh- and eighth-grade teacher posted the video as a twist on a social media trend that involved people requesting small donations toward personal trips, weddings or dream cars.
When Jones, a father of two, decided to use the trend for a charitable cause two weeks ago, he had no clue the video would help raise over $30,000.
Students in Jones’ school district were among the 50 million who received free lunches for two years through the federal program that covered the costs during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
The program ended last year, leaving some students unable to pay.
He’s spotted students hanging out in the halls during lunchtime, adding that his school’s cafeteria staff feeds children regardless of whether they owe money.
Aware that some students go as far as skipping lunch to avoid embarrassment, he posted a TikTok video stating he could pay the outstanding lunch fees of each student at his school if 2,673 people each sent him $1 via Venmo.
The clip has gotten 5 million views. Many of those viewers gave $1, $2 or $3, adding up to a total, so far, of 30 thousand dollars in donations.