A Staten Island deli manager started paying kids to get better grades 3 years ago; His fundraising has already exceeded $500,000 and he is providing school supplies to 3,000 students

A Staten Island deli manager who started giving cash and free snacks to neighborhood children three years ago for getting top grades has turned his small rewards program into a major community effort, raising more than $500,000 (£380,000) to provide school supplies to 3,000 students. Wail “Wally” Alselwi, who runs the express deli on Staten Island and is known locally as “Island Ock,” first became widely known online after sharing videos in which he gave students cash and let them pick out whatever they wanted from his store in exchange for straight A report cards. A report from ABC News and Good Morning America shows how Alselwi’s viral school rewards program grew into a major fundraising campaign. It eventually led to a large back-to-school donation for thousands of local children ahead of the new school year.

Academic rewards that sparked a movement

Alselwi started the program after noticing that many young people in the neighborhood needed more motivation and encouragement for their schoolwork. He began giving cash out of his own pocket, along with free drinks, chips and takeout, to kids who showed him good grades. The program grew quickly after a video filmed inside their store showed Zameir Davis, a 12-year-old customer, celebrating a great report card. The video went viral on TikTok. In the clip, Alselwi told the student he could take whatever he wanted from the shelves. The gesture received widespread praise and encouraged many other local children to bring their notes to the deli. In an interview with ABC News broadcast on Good Morning America, host Danny New explained how Alselwi’s personal gesture soon attracted support from people around the world. Social media followers offered money to help him reach more children. For three years, donations to Alselwi’s GoFundMe campaign continued to grow, bringing the total raised to more than $500,000.

Supplying thousands of students for the new school semester

With strong financial support from social media followers and people in the community, Alselwi expanded the program from rewarding individual children at the deli to hosting a large educational giveaway. Before the new school term, Alselwi organized the purchase and preparation of fully equipped backpacks for 3,000 students throughout Staten Island. The bags included stationery, notebooks, pens and other essential school supplies. According to coverage in the Staten Island Advance (SILive.com), the fundraising campaign exceeded $550,000. This allowed Alselwi to expand the giveaway to include elementary and middle school students in districts where families need the most help. During an appearance on ABC News, Alselwi spoke about how quickly the project had grown and the effect it has had on young people who work hard in school. “It started with just one kid who came in with a good report card, and now to see thousands of kids motivated to do well in school is incredible,” Alselwi said during his interview with Good Morning America. “We want all children to feel supported and prepared on their first day of school.”

Community support and long-term expansion plans.

Local parents and community leaders have praised Alselwi for creating a simple rewards system that encourages children to work hard in school while also helping families with the cost of purchasing supplies for the new academic year. According to NBC News, local residents typically gather outside the Staten Island deli at the end of each school term. Children line up along the street, carrying their report cards to show Alselwi. Alselwi has also said he plans to continue his report card rewards program at the deli throughout the school year. The remaining money from the online fundraising campaign will continue to support cash rewards, educational materials, and food incentives for students who earn good grades or show clear improvement in their schoolwork in the coming months.