Fire Destroys Third-Grader’s Home
On September 21, 2019, third-grader Daniel Hunt experienced a devastating loss when his family lost their home in a house fire. Fortunately for Daniel, his Tennessee classmates were looking out for him and planning a big surprise. (1)
Daniel’s family lost everything in the fire that destroyed their home. His third-grade classmates were there to support him, said Kelly Jones, a counselor at David’s school, Philadelphia Elementary. “The entire week, they couldn’t love him enough,” she said in a statement to TODAY. “People were holding doors for him, getting his pencil ready for him each morning, taking his chair down from the desk for him to sit in, and swarming him at recess.” (1)
The Best Secret
Even as Daniel’s classmates were being so sweet to him, they were keeping a big secret. Daniel’s teachers had devised a toy drive for him. His classmates excitedly got behind the idea and managed to keep it a secret for a week, even as they snuck toys into school. (1)
“The kids could not wait to do this for Daniel,” Jones said. “It was amazing to witness the excitement these third-grade kids had while sneaking in toys.” (1)
Surprise!
On Friday, September 27, the Philadelphia Elementary third-graders anxiously waited for Daniel to arrive for school. They had arranged their gifts in a big pile in the middle of the classroom so that Daniel could see them right when he walked in. (1)
When he entered the classroom, the kids yelled, “Surprise!” Daniel was speechless for a moment and then asked everyone to come in for a group hug. (1)
Jones describes Daniel as “one of the most positive, happy students” she’s ever met. She says that his reaction to the toys is a reflection of who he really is. (1)
“I love that because it shows Daniel’s big heart,” Jones said. “When he saw what his class did for him, he didn’t immediately start going through the toys — he wanted to give his classmates a hug for what they did for him.” (1)
All of the adults in the room were touched by how apparent the care between Daniel and his classmates was. “Every adult and even a few students had tears swelling up in their eyes who were in the room to witness this,” Jones said. “I feel extremely blessed to have witnessed the pure love and giving from the hearts of the third-grade students at my school.” (1)
“I Have Joy in My Stomach.”
Daniel’s grandmother Marsha Hunt, who picked him up from school that day, shared some insight into just how much the surprise toy drive meant to Daniel. Commenting on a Facebook post that Philadelphia Elementary School shared about the toy drive, Hunt said that Daniel told her, “I have joy in my stomach,” as they drove home from school. (2)
While the fire that took his family’s belongings was surely devastating, hopefully Daniel will remember the kindness of his classmates for the rest of his life. In her Facebook comment, his grandmother wrote, I love that his friends gave from their heart to this special little grandson, they were so excited to give! He has looked at each and every toy, big and small and he loves them all.” (2)
