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John Lock via The Seattle Times "Excited children show their spirit during an assembly Friday at Kimball Elementary School in Seattle to celebrate the Seahawks jerseys they all received because of nearly $25,000 raised in an online effort by teacher Kevin Zelko. The money bought 447 jerseys for all of the school's students, many of whom come from homes that can't afford them." |
From our news partners at The Seattle Times: For the kids at Seattle's Kimball Elementary School, Friday came with something special: free Seahawks jerseys, courtesy of an online fundraising drive by one of Kimball's newest teachers.
For the kids at Seattle's Kimball Elementary School, Friday came with something special: free Seahawks jerseys, courtesy of an online fundraising drive by one of the school's newest teachers.
Kevin Zelko, a 38-year-old special-education teacher, said the idea for the fundraiser was born after he made more tips than he expected as a part-time beer vendor at the Seahawks' playoff game against the New Orleans Saints earlier this month.
He said Fridays are spirit days at Kimball, where students can wear the school colors or their favorite team jersey. Because of the playoffs season, many have worn Seahawks jerseys.
Zelko, a teacher at the Beacon Hill school since September, wanted to make sure even children who couldn't afford a jersey had one.
"I just wanted to be inclusive and help out all the kids to be able to celebrate Seahawks spirit and feel connected," he said.
Zelko said he originally planned to buy jerseys for 10 to 15 kids with his tips from the playoffs, as well as donations from friends and family. But he took the fundraiser online once a friend recommended he use the website GoFundMe.
Originally, Zelko asked his fellow teachers for the names of a few kids who they thought could not afford a jersey. But the campaign gained momentum as Zelko's story was picked up by the media.
Eventually, Zelko and other Kimball faculty decided to try to raise money to buy all 447 students a jersey from the Super Bowl-bound team.
