LANSING, Mich. — Meridian Township Manager Frank Walsh has paid off $4,000 worth of student lunch debt in Okemos and Haslett schools.
He was inspired to pay it forward by NFL Quarterback Drew Brees.
Brees and his wife are donating $5 million to families in need in Louisiana.
Walsh said he was inspired by Brees' actions and he wanted to help families in need on a local level.
Walsh called the superintendents at Okemos and Haslett schools to pay off their student lunch debts.
"It's a humbling experience, you know. In the worst of times, there are millions of Americans doing what they can to help and we're just doing our part," Walsh said.
Okemos Superintendent John Hook said the donation was far beyond generosity.
"Our vision is to educate students to care and positively impact their community and what better example than the township manager stepping up to show how he cares and his wife cares to positively impact their community," Hook said.
Relieving student lunch debts comes during a fragile time in Michigan.
Right now, families are struggling financially because of the pandemic and being able to pay off those debts helps out a lot of families.
"Making sure everyone's basic needs are met and taking away worry and that stress for families is incredibly important for us at this time. And them knowing this has been forgiven will help them focus on other things," Hook said.
Walsh said he and his wife are always looking to give to children and families in need.
He is currently running a scholarship fund called the Hugh and Lucy Mizelle Scholarship Fund.
It was named after Walsh's grandparents.
He has been running that for about over 10 years and gives scholarships to students who come from families in need.
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