Students at Virginia high school surprise custodian with dream car

VIENNA, Va. - Francis Apraku, a custodian at James Madison High School, was overwhelmed with emotion when students surprised him with his dream car, a Jeep Wrangler, during a heartwarming event Monday.

"I will give thanks to Almighty God for making today for me. Today is a great day for me and I didn’t believe this would happen in my life," Apraku said, beaming with gratitude.

The birthday surprise was the culmination of months of fundraising led by a group of students who remembered Apraku mentioning that his dream car was a Jeep Wrangler. The students, including Logan Georgelas and Bennett Hibshman, worked together to make his dream a reality.

"We just kind of decided we were going to try to get him his Jeep Wrangler with the GoFundMe, and we never really thought that it would come this far," Logan said. "When we got $5,000 in the first day, we were like, all right, this is real."

The fundraising campaign exceeded expectations, eventually raising over $20,000.

The event was supported by Andy, a local car dealer who helped the students find the perfect Jeep. 

Francis was visibly moved as he stood next to the Jeep, in the school's parking lot.

"This day, Sept. 9, I will never, ever forget," Apraku said, expressing his deep appreciation for the students.