Disney Rewards Florida Boy Who Used Vacation Funds To Help Hurricane Dorian Victims
MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) -— Walt Disney World is stepping up to return a 7-year-old's kindness after the boy emptied his savings to help feed Hurricane Dorian evacuees.
Jermaine Bell saved for a year to visit Disney's Animal Kingdom for his birthday, but when he saw the terrifying storm, he decided to use his trip money to buy hundreds of hot dogs, chips and bottled water for evacuees.
He had been visiting his grandmother in South Carolina at the time.
Florida Today reports he waved a sign by the road and passed out refreshments to drivers fleeing the city.
It seems Mickey took notice. Less than a week after closing up his hurricane hot dog stand, Disney employees showed up outside of his Jacksonville home to deliver his gift in person, a free vacation!
He even got a hug from the Mouse himself.
"When Mickey came out, I was just really happy," he said in a video from Disney.
Jermaine and his family will visit the Orlando parks sometime later this month when he's not in school. But knowing he helped hundreds of people makes it worth the wait.
"Be strong, and if you do good things, you will be rewarded," he said.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)