--- title: "High School Students Raise $20K to Buy Beloved Custodian the Jeep He Always Wanted" description: "Virginia high school students raised money to buy their janitor his dream car, a Jeep Wrangler, showing that kids today are good at heart." date: "2024-09-13" modified: "2024-09-13" authors: - name: "James Gilboy" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/james-gilboy" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/high-school-students-raise-20k-to-buy-beloved-custodian-the-jeep-he-always-wanted" categories: - "Culture" - "Jeep News" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "Jeep" - "Off-Road" - "suv/crossover" - "Wrangler" --- # High School Students Raise $20K to Buy Beloved Custodian the Jeep He Always Wanted ![A man weeps in joy as he leans against the spare tire on the back of a red Jeep Wrangler that his students bought for him]() *\WUSA9 via YouTube\* It's Friday. Are you ready to go into your weekend a sappy, emotional mess? Great, because that's what you'll become when you watch a group of Virginia [high school students]() surprise their school custodian with the [Jeep Wrangler]() he has always wanted. Like anyone would when people just drop a new car into their life, the man simply loses all composure. This story unfolded at James Madison High School in Vienna, [Virginia]() according to [*KPTV Fox 12*](), where Francis Apraku takes care of the school's facilities. Apraku is apparently adored by the students, with one telling *KPTV*, “He’s more than just a custodian. He’s a dear friend to all of us. He’s just a very kind, genuine person.” Though Apraku has only been a part of some of these students' lives for a year, they're so moved by his friendship that they conspired to fulfill a lifelong desire of his. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO6k6s3qWRc Speaking to *WUSA9*, sophomores Logan and Bennett from the fundraising team said they and some friends began a GoFundMe campaign around six months ago, looping in anyone that could contribute. "We met Francis around a year ago today, and he told us his birthday's coming up. He told us he really wanted a [Jeep](), and that was his dream car, and that was his end goal in life—to get a Jeep Wrangler," said Logan to *WUSA9*. "We thought, 'We're gonna try to get him a Jeep.'" Within two days, they had gathered $5,000, which had snowballed to $20,000 as of last week. That was when they knew it was time to commit, and earlier this week, the students surprised Apraku with the [Jeep]() in the school's parking lot. Apraku was beside himself, in a state of such joy that he rolled around on the pavement. "Today's a wonderful day in my life, and I will never forget it," Apraku told *WUSA9*, remarking how much the students mean to him. "What I'm always saying is, whoever you meet in this world, you need to respect. No matter what that person is. Whether old, whether young, whoever; we have to give them due respect." *Got a tip or question for the author? You can reach them here: james@thedrive.com* ## Author James is a former staff writer for The Drive. He has changed the conversation around electrification, debunked misinformation online, and become a prominent hunter of what he calls "automotive cryptids." ### Author social links [Instagram]()