A Missouri fifth-grade student was honored for his compassion after raising funds to help his disadvantaged classmates pay their lunch fees.
Daken Kramer raised more than $7,300 for Thomas Ultican Elementary School in Blue Springs, exceeding his original goal of $3,500, which was slightly more than the school’s total debt.
The fifth-grader announced his lofty aspirations in a video posted April 12 to his mother’s Facebook.
“This is my last year of elementary school,” Daken said. “Although I will never be able to repay this school for all the hard work that has been put into my education and well-being, I would like to do something to show my gratitude.”
He challenged friends, families and local businesses to donate to a PayPal link or give cash as part of a fundraiser called Daken Feeds TUE.
Missouri fifth-grader Daken Kramer raised more than $7,300 to pay off his elementary school lunch debt
Approximately 29 percent of Blue Springs School District students are eligible to receive a free breakfast or reduced lunch.
Daken explained that Thomas Ultican is a Title I school, meaning a large number of students come from low-income families.
“Many children in school already benefit from reduced lunches and some cannot pay their lunch debt,” she said. “Please consider helping these families relieve the stress in their lives.”
According to a district website, breakfast for an elementary student costs $1.85, while lunch costs $2.55. However, for students under the reduced price program, breakfast is free and lunch is 40 cents.
About 29 percent of the district’s 15,000 students are eligible for free breakfast or reduced lunch, according to a district spokesperson.
‘Daken wanted to do something special as a thank you to his school and has HIGH hopes for this project. “I’m so proud of him for wanting to help others,” Daken’s mother, Vanessa Kramer, captioned the video.
“I know that the target amount is a lot, but there are many families that cannot pay their debt.”
Daken’s mother, Vanessa Kramer, shared her campaign video on Facebook last month.
The duo managed to raise over $7,200 on PayPal, plus more in cash donations.
Thomas Ultican is a Title I school, meaning a large number of students come from low-income families and benefit from reduced-price meals.
Daken’s good intentions caught the attention of those in his community and beyond. The campaign spread to states like neighboring Arkansas and others as far away as Florida and New Jersey.
In messages accompanying their PayPal donations, some people expressed how they personally connected to their mission.
“Thank you for making this child,” one man wrote. “I know what it’s like to sit in class on an empty stomach.”
In a matter of two weeks, Daken’s fundraiser doubled its goal, and Kramer announced on May 11 that the mother-son duo had raised $7,470.
More than $7,200 had been raised through PayPal before the campaign ended, while Daken would continue to receive cash donations until his graduation on May 21.
“We have seen donations coming from people without children, from homeschooling or private school families, and MANY donations from out of state,” Kramer wrote.
“This has been an eye-opening situation for a lot of people and I hope it gets people in power to talk about universal school lunches.”
Daken managed to pay off his school’s debt and the remaining amount was distributed to Blue Springs High School, another school in the district.
Daken managed to pay off his school’s debt and the remaining funds were given to Blue Springs High School.
His fifth grade teacher, Kristi Haley, presented him with the Daken Kramer Legacy Award at his graduation on May 21.
Daken thanked the school staff, administrators and Haley for being “an incredible role model.” He then received the award, starting a new annual tradition.
Daken explained that he wanted to do a good deed to express his gratitude “for all the hard work that has been put into my education and well-being.”
At his graduation last week, the fifth-grader received the Daken Kramer Legacy Award, kicking off a new annual tradition.
‘It was definitely a surprise. “I had no idea they were going to do that,” Daken said. cnn. “And I definitely started feeling a lot of emotions.”
The honor came as he took the stage alongside a huge check, thanking school staff, administrators and his fifth-grade teacher, Kristi Haley, for being “an incredible role model.”
Haley praised Daken’s “heart,” “drive” and “determination” before making the surprise announcement that there would be an award in his honor.
“We are so proud of you for choosing to leave such an incredible legacy by leaving TUE,” Haley said. “Needless to say, your selfless actions will impact dozens of students in our district.”
The couple embraced each other as she presented Daken with the award of the same name.
“This will be an experience that will stay with him his entire life,” Kramer wrote on Facebook. “This has awakened something in Daken that makes him want to continue changing the world for the better.”
While Daken’s fundraising took care of his school’s fees, meal debt at 20 district schools totals more than $235,000.
Kramer told CNN that the mother-son duo are now working with a Missouri state representative to see if they can amplify their good deed.
“I hope this fundraiser has opened some eyes and raised awareness about a very serious problem in our country,” Kramer wrote on social media.
‘It’s a nationwide problem, not just in Missouri. I hope this is a first step towards making a change. I know that government officials should be the ones making the difference. But I’m teaching my children to be the change you want to see in the world.’