......"They said they had a spill and of course that's my job so I went to clean the spill up....."

Wednesday marked the last day of school for students in Anderson County and they celebrated by surprising a staff member with a special gift.
They gave janitor Ricky Spaulding enough money to see his family stationed overseas.
Excited students and staff poured into the Anderson County High School gym for a pep rally which was the part of the cover for the surprise.

"They said they had a spill and of course that's my job so I went to clean the spill up," Spaulding said. But instead of a mess, they presented him with a bag of money the students had collected totaling $1,900.

"My son is stationed in Italy and we are going to see him," Spaulding said. "Words can't describe the joy that I feel right now."

The secret donations started earlier this year when staff members heard that Spaulding hadn't seen his son in a year and had never met his new grandson.

"Ricky is such a great guy," Principal Chris Glass said. "It's hard not to give to his cause."
Ricky's wife, Lisa Spaulding, calls the money a miracle and said it'll pay for the invaluable
time they'll spend with their son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren.

"It just shows how much they care and I just think it's amazing," she said.

Ricky and Lisa said they hope to make their trip in the winter, but the sooner the better.

http://www.lex18.com/news/making-a-difference-school-surprises-staff-member-with-money-to-visit-family-overseas