Massachusetts track team raises money to buy new tricycle for beloved member of community
Students on the Marblehead High School track and field team came together this week to surprise a beloved member of their community with an unexpected gift. A brand-new tricycle.
"Overwhelmed with emotion"
"I felt like crying, I was very overwhelmed with emotion," said Nikolay "Niko" Kuzmin, expressing his gratitude.
Kuzmin graduated from Marblehead High School in the early 2000s, and is a familiar figure at the school. He is often seen riding his tricycle around the campus.
However, last month, students noticed a change. Kuzmin was walking.
Old tricycle damaged by pothole
"We asked him what happened, and he was riding his tricycle around here, he hit a pothole, and snapped the axle off of his tricycle," said Nolan Raimo, head coach of the boys' track team.
So, the student-athletes quickly sprang into action, raising money to buy Kuzmin a new one.
"It was just really special that we could come together as a team and make such a difference in someone's life," said Henrik Adams, a member of the boys' track team.
"I was happy and stunned," Kuzmin said. "I never expected like someone to get me a gift like this."
Fellow track athlete Elise Burchfield added, "We have such a tight-knit group of people, and whenever someone needs help, I think it's really important that we all come together."
For Kuzmin, this act of kindness exemplifies what makes Marblehead a special place to live. "I feel like the Marblehead community really loves me," he said.
