A beloved high school janitor got the surprise of a lifetime after a group of students gifted him a Jeep Wrangler – his dream car.
Francis Apraku, a custodian at James Madison High School in Vienna, Virginia, was left speechless after students banded together to give him a birthday gift on Monday.
The group of freshman fundraised for months on GoFundMe and ended up exceeding expectations after raising more than $20,000 for Apraku. They also got support from a local car dealer, Andy, who helped them pick out his dream vehicle.
Apraku, who dropped to the ground in complete shock, expressed how grateful he was to God and the students for the gift.
With tears in his eyes, the custodian told Fox5: ‘I will give thanks to Almighty God for making today for me. I hope today is a great day for me.’
Francis Apraku, a custodian (center) at James Madison High School in Vienna, Virginia , was left speechless after students banded together to give him a birthday gift on Monday
The students raised more than $20,000 to guy Apraku his dream car – a Jeep Wrangler with a tire on the back
He turned around to face the boys and said: ‘And also, I thank my junior brothers around me – through them this dream has come true.’
‘May God richly bless them and make all their dreams come true in their life.
Video captured the moment Apraku walked out to the school parking lot and spotted the Jeep.
He soon started to realize that it was his and instantly fell to the floor and rolled over with a huge smile on his face as the boys walked over to embrace him.
They then picked him up and walked him to his car as he held his face in his hands and cried.
Apraku then checked out his new car before stumbling on the back tire that he dreamed of for so long.
Apraku, who dropped to the ground in complete shock, expressed how grateful he was to God and the students for the gift (left). He then rolls on the ground in excitement (right).
‘Ever since we met Francis he has been super kind and friendly and sometimes even says prayers for us,’ the boys said on the donation page
He wrapped his arms around the tire and smiled with tears in his eyes as one of the boys patted him on the back.
The janitor then stood there for a moment and looked down as he continued to cry while a crowd of onlookers gathered around him.
He then held his keys in his hands, raised his arms up to the sky and closed his eyes in prayer.
Apraku hoped in his new ride, fit with a big red bow on the hood, as everyone cheered him on.
He recalled telling them his favorite car was a Jeep Wrangler ‘with a tire in the back of the car.’
‘When I said that, the guys were looking at me, and I didn’t know the reason they were looking at me like that.’
Apraku expressed how grateful he was to God and the students for the gift
He is seen wrapping his arms around the giant tire as one of the boys pats him on the back
Apraku also recalled feeling confused when three of the students asked him for his email address prior to the big day.
‘I don’t know much about the phone, I don’t know much about the email,’ he said.
One of the students, Bennett, told the outlet that the group ‘never thought it would come this far’ and revealed that they collected $5,000 the first day.
Another student, Logan, said they received $19,000 in about three months and after six months they collected more than $20,000 for the custodian.
‘Ever since we met Francis he has been super kind and friendly and sometimes even says prayers for us,’ the boys said on the donation page.
Apraku said he will never forget the day the students made his dreams come true.
‘I feel happy, happy, happy, and I don’t know how to describe it,’ he said.
After the amazing surprise Apraku and the students gathered at a local restaurant, Vienna Inn, and commemorated the joyous day together.
