Former intern delivers sneakers to entire Montreal-area high school for back-to-school
After working as an intern at James Lyng High School, Julian Grau-Brown wanted to do something special for the students there.
As someone who wants to become an educator, he said everyone deserves to start the school year off on the right foot.
So, he bought 155 pairs of new shoes.
It took a rental van to deliver all the boxes to the school in South-West Montreal, and a whole team of volunteers helped unload so many colourful new kicks.
Now studying at McGill University, Grau-Brown remembers his time at this high school.
"I was here as a behaviour technician so I came here and helped the kids out and guided them with classes and helped them whenever they needed my help," he said.
He enjoyed the experience and wanted to offer the students a gift for the back-to-school season.
"Every year I wanted to start school off with a brand new pair of kicks, of fresh shoes and I know that’s not available to everyone so I said, 'if I can check that box for a family or a whole school, why not do it?'" he said.
Grau-Brown started a gofundme page and raised more than $3,200.
Not as much as the $5,000 he wanted, but still enough to buy shoes for every student in the school – without any corporate sponsorship help.
He then got everyone’s shoe size, bought some great new shoes and delivered them to James Lyng High School.
Principal Lino Buttino couldn't believe it.
“He got the shoes! I said 'holy mackeral, wow ok,'" said Buttino.
Buttino added that "Julian is exceptional in being a man of his word and he came through!"
The local Desjardins Bank also kicked in homework supplies for a big giveaway.
Grade 11 student Nyzaya McLean-Gordon said, “We're all really grateful and appreciate it a lot.”
“Not a lot of people have the opportunity to get these shoes, this is great,” said student Guandique Richards, holding his new Nikes aloft.
Vice-Principal Andrea Dillon added that the school wants to set the students up for success.
"All the students need to start the year on the same level," she said. "We're giving them equal opportunity to have what they need for their lessons."
The lesson today was that one person can make a big impact.
Laughing, Julian said he feels like a kid too.
"I’m giving them out to the youth but I'm still a youth so I have a connection with these kids," he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'