NBC CT: Gavin DeGraw Surprises Farmington Elementary Students with Performance
May 29, 2019 at 6:45 PM
NBC CT
Isa Gutierrez
It’s not every day you get a private performance from a
Grammy-nominated platinum recording artist in your school gym. But that’s how
students at an elementary school in Farmington got to spend their Wednesday
after donating thousands of items for a good cause.
The students at Noah Wallace Elementary School in Farmington
got the special visit from Gavin DeGraw after winning this year’s Bag It Up for
Goodwill challenge by a landslide. They collected nearly 80,000 items for
donation.
“This reminds me what life is all about,” said DeGraw after
his performance in the gym. “This is the most beautiful possible day I could’ve
had.”
“I knew a couple of his songs before we started doing the
contest, but now I definitely know a lot more,” said fourth grader Brooke
Hacker. “I’m a huge fan.”
The proceeds from the 79,862 items they donated to Goodwill
will go towards programs and career centers that help people with disabilities
across the state.
“All the students like emptied out their closets and we got
clothes toys old books, and everyone participated,” Hacker said. “We thought
about how we could help the community, and that really like helped us get the
items and know that we were doing it for a good cause.”
“It’s significant not just that they won, but that it’s the
largest number we’ve ever seen,” said Jeremy Mooser from the Goodwill of
Western and Northern Connecticut.
Noah Wallace School Principal, Carrie Huber, says proud is
an understatement.
“They worked so hard,” she said, “Our student council set a
goal they achieved it.”
And today’s celebration of their success turned out to be to
be inspiring for more than just the students.