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Response to bullied student’s car repairs prompts more community action

Posted at 1:15 PM, Aug 28, 2012
and last updated 2012-08-28 17:44:27-04

ROANOKE, Va. (WTVR) – A bullied Radford University student whose car was vandalized four times this year received a much better vehicle after a dozen Roanoke businesses pitched in to help him out.

The businesses fixed it for free and even added on several extras.

Since the story first aired, it was shared more than 27,000 times, from all around the world. (And just on WTVR.com, the story was shared 1,400 times.)

The shop that led the repairs has received hundreds of emails, cards, and phone calls thanking them for what they did, many from people who were bullied themselves. And rhat’s inspired the auto body shop to do it again.

“I wanna pay it forward every year, so we’re calling it operation pay it forward and once a year we’re going to overhaul a deserving person’s car,” says Richard Henegar Jr., a manager at Quality Auto Paint and Body.

Henegar said he is still working out the details on exactly how the new program will work.

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