Students and teachers at a Tennessee primary school have teamed up to crowdsource toys for a pupil who lost everything in a devastating house fire.
Eight-year-old Daniel Hunt lost all of his possessions when his family home burned down on September 21. Following the incident, his teachers and classmates at Philadelphia Elementary School organised a secret toy drive to replace the toys he lost.
"It was amazing to witness the excitement these third-grade kids had while sneaking in toys," the school's counsellor, Kelly Jones, told Today.
- Two-year-old missing boy found at local fair after driving himself there on toy tractor
- $5 Kmart dog toy causing 'thousands of dollars' in vet bills has not been recalled
"The kids could not wait to do this for Daniel."
Daniel's classmates have reportedly gone the extra mile to make their peer feel special in the week following the fire, holding doors open for him, getting his pencil ready in the morning and encouraging him to play at recess.
On Friday (local time) the students surprised Daniel with their secret toy stockpile, leaving the eight-year-old "speechless".
Jones told Today that Daniel enveloped everyone in a group hug as the teachers and students "had tears swelling up in their eyes".
Daniel's grandmother, Marsha Hunt, wrote a heartfelt comment expressing her thanks on the school's Facebook page.
"He has looked at each and every toy, big and small, and he loves them all. Thank you so much," she wrote.
"I love that his friends gave from their heart to this special little grandson."
Newshub.
