Elementary Students Receive Big Surprise For Random Acts Of Kindness Day

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Buy a coffee for a stranger; take out your neighbor's garbage – some of many unexpected gestures that will be center stage on Friday.

It is Random Acts Of Kindness Day, but for a school in Logan Square the good deeds started a day early. CBS 2's Vince Gerasole has the story.

At Funston Elementary, the students learned Thursday an unexpected lesson.

"I just thought there were going to be people dancing," said 6-year-old, Chloe Avila.

Late Thursday afternoon, students began filtering into the auditorium, for a perfect attendance assembly.

"They only told me there was going to be a big surprise," said 8-year-old, Natalie DelGado.

As they wiggled in their seats, students had no idea 100 scooters and bikes were hidden behind a curtain, one for each student.

"I found out when they opened the curtain," Del Gado said. "The big surprise – scooters and bikes."

The unveiling was an exhilarating moment.

"I was all crazy, shaking a lot," said 6-year-old, Maya DeJesus.

Here is the backstory:

Over the weekend 2,500 Chicago area high school athletes spent time doing random acts of kindness. They also donated a dollar each to purchase Thursday's giveaways at a school where 97 percent of the families are low income.

The gifts came with a challenge, to pay it forward, any way a first or second grader could think of. Some students said they would share their crayons and pencils with their friends.

A life lesson, not just for them, but also for all of us.

You might call it the Oprah car give-away for the elementary set, but as you heard from the students, it was so much more.

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