High 5: Springville Students’ Act Of Kindness Raises $4K For Classmate
Dec 11, 2019, 8:36 AM | Updated: Dec 13, 2019, 8:11 am
SPRINGVILLE, Utah – The children of Cherry Creek Elementary School are living their school song: to lead, learn and inspire.
The kids were able to raise more than $4,000 in one week for a student who was recently in a very serious car crash.
KSL TV teamed up with the staff at Cherry Creek to give the kids a big surprise at an extra special assembly.
Hiding on stage at that assembly was Rocco Scott, 10, who was making his first visit to the school in nearly two months. During fall break, Rocco and his family were involved in a rollover crash in Colorado.
“Everyone walked away but Rocco,” said his mom, Nakole Scott. “I could tell right away that there was something really wrong with Rocco.”
He suffered severe head trauma
“He had facial fractures around his orbital sockets and the base of his skull,” Nakole said. “And he had damage to both sides of his head and his frontal lobe.”
Rocco spent three days in a medically-induced coma and was eventually flown to Primary Children’s Hospital. Since then, he’s been making huge strides in his recovery.
“He is just blowing everyone out of the water with his recovery,” Nakole said.
When students and staff at Cherry Creek learned about the crash, they jumped into action with a “penny war” to raise money for Rocco and his family.
“We had kids lined up at the office in the morning with gallon Ziplock bags full of change, just ready to donate all of their money,” PTA President Morgan Black said.
The penny war yielded a total of $4,385.63.
“Even those little acts of kindness can make a big effect,” Black said.
Rocco and his parents were presented with the penny war money during the special school assembly. To thank the students, KSL TV had a little surprise as well: hundreds of doughnuts.
The students loved the morning treat, but they were more excited to see their friend again.
“(I felt) just pure happiness,” Jason Vazquez said through tears after seeing his friend Rocco for the first time in months. “That was probably like one of the best things in my life — to see him safe and just here.”
“It was super awesome to come here and see everybody,” Rocco said.
Nakole said Rocco is doing well in his recovery, and the family is hoping Rocco can return to school at the beginning of 2020.
