- Many students at a Quincy middle school have been bringing blankets instead of winter coats to school.
- Tallahassee-based rapper 'The Real Boston Richey' stepped up with 200 new coats for students there.
- Watch the video to find out what this means to the students.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
After learning that students in Quincy were bringing blankets instead of coats to school, Tallahassee native rapper 'Boston Richey' has stepped up to change that. I'm Kenya Cardonne in the Quincy neighborhood where the rapper gave about 200 students here at James A. Shanks Middle School a coat and an inspirational start to their Thursday.
When administrators at James A. Shanks Middle School saw students bringing blankets to school, they first thought it was a trend.
Camry Floyd, Principal - "So we were kind of using some measures to get them to keep the blankets at home but then we realized that it may have been more of an issue with lack of necessities."
A lack of necessities is something Principal Camry Floyd says 100% of her Title 1 students experience in some way.
Necessities like a winter coat.
Once the word spread to Jalen Foster, a rap artist widely known as 'The Real Boston Richey'..
Jalen 'The Real Boston Richey' Foster, Rap Artist - "I called my pastor and asked him, 'What can we do?'"
The Tallahassee native donated about 200 coats to students in need as part of his Christmas is Caring Project.
Boston Richey - "How I grew up, sometimes, a lot of times like, your Mom or dad or your grandma aren't able to provide.. which is not bad because that's where I come from, so I know how it feels to not have a jacket or not have a pair of new shoes."
His mother Rayshell Foster calls this a full circle moment, as she remembers leaning on toy and clothing giveaways before Jalen made it big.
Rayshell Foster, Mother of Boston Richey - "Just to know that we're able to do that now, it makes a big difference because I know how it felt to be on the other end."
With new coats and a visit from the rapper himself, smiles and cheers flooded the cafeteria.
Areon Anderson, Student - "It's great. Because this jacket doesn't do me justice in the cold so now I got something. It got fur in it too, I like it."
Boston Richey - "Man, it feels good and I just hope it motivates them to do good in school just knowing it came from me."
Boston Richey and his team also toured the school, giving hundreds of students reasons to believe in themselves.
Anderson - "It feels amazing... 'cause I want to be like him one day!"
After spending time with the kids here, Boston Richey says one of his next goals this winter is to give back to the senior community. In Quincy, Kenya Cardonne ABC 27
