A Staten Island deli manager started paying kids for better report cards 3 years ago

Wail Alselwi is encouraging kids to improve their grades. A Staten Island deli manager who started giving neighbourhood children cash and free snacks for getting top marks three years ago has turned his small reward programme into a major community effort, raising more than $500,000 (£380,000) to provide school supplies to 3,000 students. Wail “Wally” Alselwi, who manages the express deli on Staten Island and is known locally as "Island Ock", first became widely known online after sharing videos in which he gave students cash and let them choose anything they wanted from his store in return for straight-A report cards. Reporting by ABC News and Good Morning America shows how Alselwi’s viral school reward programme grew into a major fundraising campaign. It eventually led to a large back-to-school giveaway for thousands of local children before the new school year.Academic rewards that sparked a movementAlselwi started the programme after noticing that many young people in the neighbourhood needed more motivation and encouragement for their schoolwork. He began giving cash from his own pocket, along with free drinks, crisps and household groceries, to children who showed him strong ...