A beloved high school janitor got the surprise of a lifetime when a group of students gifted him a Jeep Wrangler, the car of his dreams.
Francis Apraku, a janitor at James Madison High School in Vienna, Virginiawas left speechless after students banded together to give him a birthday present on Monday.
The group of freshmen raised funds for months GoFundMe and ended up exceeding expectations by raising over $20,000 for Apraku. They also received support from a local car dealer, Andy, who helped them choose the vehicle of their dreams.
Apraku, who fell to the ground in complete shock, expressed how grateful he was to God and the students for the gift.
With tears in his eyes, the custodian said: Zorro5: ‘I will thank God Almighty for giving me this day. I hope it will be a great day for me.’
Francis Apraku, a custodian (center) at James Madison High School in Vienna, Virginia, was left speechless after students banded together to give him a birthday present on Monday.
The students raised more than $20,000 to give Apraku his dream car: a Jeep Wrangler with a tire on the back.
He turned to look at the boys and said, “And also, I thank my younger brothers who surround me: thanks to them this dream has come true.”
‘May God bless you richly and make all your dreams in life come true.
The video captured the moment Apraku walked out into the school parking lot and saw the Jeep.
He soon began to realize that it was his and instantly fell to the ground and turned around with a huge smile on his face as the boys came up to hug him.
They then picked him up and carried him to their car as he held his face in his hands and cried.
Apraku then checked out his new car before stumbling upon the rear tire he had long dreamed of.
Apraku, who fell to the ground in shock, expressed how grateful he was to God and the students for the gift (left). He then rolled on the ground in excitement (right).
“Ever since we met Francis, he has been so kind and friendly and sometimes he even prays for us,” the boys said on the donation page.
She wrapped her arms around the tire and smiled with tears in her eyes as one of the kids patted her on the back.
The janitor stood there for a moment and looked down as he continued to cry while a crowd of onlookers gathered around him.
Then he held the keys in his hands, raised his arms toward the sky and closed his eyes in prayer.
Apraku looked out of his new vehicle, equipped with a large red bow on the hood, as everyone cheered.
He recalled telling them his favorite car was a Jeep Wrangler “with a tire on the back.”
“When I said that, the boys looked at me and I didn’t know why they were looking at me like that.”
Apraku expressed how grateful he was to God and the students for the gift.
He is seen wrapping his arms around the giant tire as one of the kids pats him on the back.
Apraku also recalled feeling confused when three of the students asked him for his email address before the big day.
“I don’t know much about the phone, I don’t know much about email,” he said.
One of the students, Bennett, told the outlet that the group “never thought it would go this far” and revealed that they raised $5,000 on the first day.
Another student, Logan, said they received $19,000 in about three months and after six months they raised over $20,000 for the janitor.
“Ever since we met Francis, he has been so kind and friendly and sometimes he even prays for us,” the boys said on the donation page.
Apraku said he will never forget the day the students realized their dreams.
“I feel happy, happy, happy and I don’t know how to describe it,” she said.
After the incredible surprise, Apraku and the students gathered at a local restaurant, Vienna Inn, and commemorated the happy day together.
