PHOTO: Missouri 11-Year-Old Awarded for Raising $7K to Pay Off School’s Lunch Debt

A fifth grader in Blue Springs, Missouri, has a big heart that led him to do something special for his friends at Thomas Ultican Elementary School.

Daken Kramer, 11, a student at that campus, recently turned in a check for more than $7,300 to pay off the school’s entire meal debt, CNN reported Sunday.

This story should put a smile on your face! This Missouri fifth grader raised thousands to help other families by paying off his school's entire lunch debt. https://t.co/75oCqcf19t

— WTHI News10 (@WTHITV) May 27, 2024

His mother, Vanessa Kramer, said Daken’s initial goal was $3,500, which was around the amount as the debt. However, the leftover funds were given to a high school in the area.

“It’s important for kids to eat. I don’t think they could make it through the day without eating a school lunch,” Daken told ABC 7:

The fifth-grader’s efforts began when he appeared in a video on his mother’s social media page, urging people he knew and local businesses to donate. When they heard about what he was trying to do, people in other states such as Texas, Florida, and New Jersey stepped in, and their generosity helped surpass his goal.

Missouri fifth grader raises $7,300 to pay off his entire school's meal debt https://t.co/6pt3Yh9EHv pic.twitter.com/7HVaPwxg7q

— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) May 26, 2024

Eating a nutritious lunch is important because it “re-energizes your body and can raise blood sugar levels when focus and concentration are flagging,” according to Live Strong.

“Lunch may have even more importance for school-aged children than it does for adults. Since most kids don’t get breakfast or dinner at school and may not have any snacks until they get home, lunch is the only meal they have to power them through the day,” the article said.

Daken was recently surprised with the creation of the Daken Kramer Legacy Award. It will be an honor given to children his age who go out of their way to help people in need.

When his teacher, Kristi Haley, announced the award during the fifth-grade graduation, she told him, “Your selfless actions will impact dozens of students throughout the district. It’s not the amount of money you raised, although that was absolutely incredible. It’s your heart, your drive, your determination and your grit to help others that inspires us.”

In August, a 14-year-old boy in North County, Missouri, paid off lunch debts for students at his former elementary school, according to Breitbart News.