Lakeland 7th grader's random act of kindness makes a world of difference for boy in need

LAKELAND, Fla. — A seventh-grader at Rochelle School of the Arts in Lakeland was recognized recently for stepping up to help a fellow student in need.

Antwain Bernanrd Shaw Jr., was at breakfast at Rochelle on Sept. 5, when he saw two boys teasing a second-grader about his shoes.

“The little boy was crying and upset as he tried to explain to the bullies that those were the only shoes he had to wear (they were baseball shoes),” the Lakeland Police Department said on its Facebook page. “But the bullies didn’t care and they kept teasing him.”

That’s when Antwain stepped in and told the boys to leave the second-grader alone.

But he didn’t stop there, the LPD said.

“When the boys left, Antwain told the child to stop crying and not to worry about his shoes anymore,” the department’s Facebook post said.

When he got home that night, the seventh-grader told his mother what happened at school “and that he wanted to buy the little boy a new pair of shoes,” the LPD said. “She immediately took him to the store and bought not one, but two pairs of new shoes for the second-grader.”

When the Lakeland Police Department found out about what Antwain did, officials decided they needed to recognize him for his actions.

“Antwain did not do this for recognition or to make new friends,” the LPD Facebook post said. “He did it because he is a kind and compassionate young man.

“Therefore, it is our honor to recognize Antwain for doing the right thing.”

Cox Media Group