Jermaine Bell from Allendale, South Carolina did not think twice to use the money he saved for a birthday trip to Disneyland to buy food for Dorian evacuees. The six-year-old boy even made sure the evacuees get food to eat by waiting for them on the side of the road.
Bell used a year’s worth of savings for a trip to Disney’s Animal Kingdom to stack up on water, hot dogs, and chips. He had wanted to celebrate his birthday there but his priorities changed when he heard about the plight of the people from the Bahamas in the wake of hurricane Dorian.
Instead of using that money for himself, he decided to use it for the evacuees so they have something to eat while they go find places to stay.
“The people that are traveling to go to places, I wanted them to have some food to eat, so they can enjoy the ride to the place that they’re going to stay at,” Bell told WJBF.
“I wanted to be generous and live to give,” the young boy added.
True to his convictions, Bell made two handcrafted signs on each of the highways along Highway 125 Allendale to make sure he gets their attention. Then he gave out the food himself to the coastal South Carolina evacuees.
Aretha Grant, Bell’s grandmother, helped the boy pass out food. She also overheard him say a prayer for a family of evacuees.
“He actually even prayed for a family while they were here in reference to their house being okay when they got back, so that was really tear dropping,” Grant said, adding that he wants Bell to see how blessed he is to be a blessing to other people.
The young boy was able to feed 100 evacuees out of the goodness of his heart and his generosity. His good deed did not go unnoticed. The Walt Disney Company rewarded him and his family to a VIP getaway so he can still celebrate his birthday at the happiest place on earth.
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On Sept. 8, Mickey along with other Disney characters surprised the boy at his home with the special invite to Walt Disney World Resort. They enjoyed the theme parks and Bell’s wish to visit the Animal Kingdom came true. He and his family were treated as VIPS with a private tour and a meet-and-greet with the cast of the “Festival of the Lion King” Broadway show.
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Bell’s mother Lauren Creech is overwhelmed by all the reactions his son’s act of kindness has generated. She said they are a family of givers and it makes her happy to see her son “grasped those values” at an early age.