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What family is doing to make sure every Chesterfield elementary student has hot lunch

Posted at 8:49 PM, Dec 30, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-30 20:49:35-05

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — The family of a Chesterfield County high school student who died earlier this month has created a fund to make sure every elementary school student in the county is served a hot lunch.

Thomas Bailey, a junior at James River High School in Midlothian, died on Dec. 17, according to aGoFundMe account created last week by his sister.

Thomas Bailey

Thomas Bailey

The family of the 17-year-old said he was enrolled in Culinary Arts at Chesterfield Technical Center and a member of the fencing club.

Thomas’ sister, Megan Bailey, said that lunch was her brother’s favorite part of school, so she and her family decided to start a lunch fund program in her brother’s honor.

“There were many times growing up that my brother and I were served cold cheese sandwiches at school because we did not have enough money in our lunch accounts,” Megan Bailey wrote. “All money raised will be donated to Chesterfield County elementary school cafeterias to help students who may need a couple extra dollars for lunch each day.”

Bailey hopes the campaign will be able to provide each elementary school in the county with at least $200 for the lunches.

“There are 38 elementary schools in the county and we are hoping to help every one of them,” Bailey wrote.

As of Saturday night, 12 donations had been made totaling $420.

The family said that more than $600 had been received when including donations from the memorial service. That will pay for lunches at three schools: Robious, Crenshaw and Ettrick.

Click here if you would like to make a donation.