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Students Go to Prom Wearing T-Shirts to Raise Money for Their Grieving Music Teacher – Story of the Day

The 11th and 12th grade students choose to show up to prom in t-shirts instead of prom dresses and suits to raise money for their grieving music teacher who lost everything in an unfortunate incident.

At a local high school in San Francisco, Mr. Adams was well-liked by his students. He taught music, something he was passionate about since he was little.

Like any other music enthusiast, Mr. Adams aspired to become a famous musician. He wanted to make it big, go on tour and release albums. However, as time passed, he realized that his dream was something he could not achieve.

Mr. Adams wanted to become a famous musician. | Source: Pexels

Despite this realization, he didn’t want to give up music, so he applied to become a high school music teacher and got the job.

Not all students liked playing musical instruments and singing, but thanks to Mr. Adams’ easy and fun lessons, he instantly became every student’s favorite teacher. He taught them how to play instruments using the best hits and had jam sessions with them where they performed the students’ favorite songs.

“You know, the key to getting kids to love your lessons is to make them relate to them,” he told his fellow teachers one day. “Once you get their attention, it will be easier for them to absorb what you are trying to teach them.”

Mr. Adams ended up becoming a high school music teacher. | Source: Pexels

Mr. Adams taught high school students in grades 11 and 12. Thanks to his fun-loving nature, his students respected him as a teacher but treated him as a friend. They came to him for advice and hung out with him outside of class to play music and exchange stories.

One day, his students scheduled a day to spend time with him and make their upcoming prom playlist. He was happy to help them and scheduled his session for Friday of that week.

However, that Friday, Mr. Adams did not show up to class for the first time. “I wonder if he’s okay,” said one student, concerned. “He has never been absent before!”

Mr. Adams’ students were worried one day after he didn’t show up for class. | Source: Pexels

The students waited patiently inside the music room, thinking that Mr. Adams had probably arrived late. However, after a couple of minutes, the school principal came into the room and said that Mr. Adams would not be returning anytime soon.

“I know how much you love Mr. Adams, so I am revealing this information. Last night, a forest fire burned down his house and he was devastated. He worked hard to build that house, but he couldn’t save it. He was only able to recover a few items, but other than that, everything he owned disappeared,” he revealed.

The news saddened Mr. Adams’ students. Some of them couldn’t stop the tears from falling, as they could only imagine how heartbroken his favorite teacher was at that moment.

The school principal revealed that Mr. Adams lost his home. | Source: Pexels

“We have to help him!” said one of the students.

“As?” asked another.

Instead of teaching music lessons that day, the school principal allowed the students to think of ways they could help Mr. Adams. After an hour, they came to the conclusion that they would not wear dresses and suits to prom this year, but would instead go with t-shirts and jeans.

“Let’s pool our budget for robes and suits and give the money to Mr. Adams so he can rebuild his house and buy essential items,” the student council president announced.

The students brainstormed ways they could help Mr. Adams. | Source: Pexels

Everyone agreed to this, and when the special night finally arrived, everyone arrived at the function in matching t-shirts and jeans. Mr. Adams hadn’t arrived yet, but he was scheduled to go because he couldn’t help but keep her promise to be his DJ that night.

When Mr. Adams finally made it inside, he was surprised to see everyone dressed in casual clothes instead of their usual party attire. “Did you change the topic?” -He asked, since he was wearing a suit and tie.

“No, Mr. Adams, the topic did not change, but we wanted to do something special for someone dear to us. Instead of buying new dresses and suits, we pooled the money and put it here,” the student council president said, holding up an envelope for Mr. Adams to see.

Mr. Adams showed up to prom in a suit and tie, while everyone else wore T-shirts and jeans. | Source: Pexels

“We are sorry for what happened at your home, Mr. Adams. We hope that this amount can help him in some way to rebuild what he has lost,” he added before handing her the envelope.

Mr. Adams was genuinely surprised and couldn’t help but cry. He looked at his colleagues as if asking them if this was a joke, but they all nodded reassuringly.

“I can’t believe this…” he managed to say. “Thank you kids. Oh really. This means a lot to me and it will mean a lot to my family too. I don’t know how I’ll repay you. Thank you very much, from the bottom of my heart,” she said through tears.

Mr. Adams had promised to be the DJ during graduation night. | Source: Pexels

As soon as he accepted the envelope, his students rushed to give him a big group hug. “We love you, Mr. Adams!” they shouted in unison.

That night, Mr. Adams made sure to give his students a prom they would remember. He blasted all of his favorite songs and watched them dance happily all night.

Thanks to the generous donation from his 11th and 12th grade students, he was able to begin rebuilding his house, this time using disaster-proof materials, so he would never have to worry about losing his home again.

What can we learn from this story?

• You never know how much impact you have had on other people.   Mr. Adams loved his students very much, but he did not realize that the feeling was mutual for his students. When they discovered that he had lost his house, they sacrificed their prom dresses and suits to raise money so he could rebuild his house.
• When you are in a position to help someone in need, do it.   Mr. Adams’ students immediately decided to help him, knowing how heartbroken his favorite teacher was after losing his home. They chose to give her a meaningful gift instead of wearing fancy dresses and suits for her once-in-a-lifetime graduation experience, and it was something they did without regrets.

Share this story with your loved ones. It could inspire them and brighten their day.