It seems Jermaine Bell will get his Disney wish after all.
After using the money he’d saved for a trip to the Florida theme parks to buy food for Hurricane Dorian evacuees, Disney magic makers surprised Jermaine with a free vacation.
Jermaine’s original plans to visit Disney were dashed when Dorian struck the Carolinas last week. Staying with his grandmother in Allendale, South Carolina, he spent what money he’d been saving for a trip to the theme parks on hundreds of hot dogs, chips and water to feed evacuees for free.
It was meant to be a trip to celebrate his 7th birthday. He didn’t give up on his dream entirely. He just knew that giving back took priority.
“I just wanted to be generous,” he told CNN last week.
Jermaine Bell spent his Disney vacation savings on food for Hurricane Dorian evacuees. On his seventh birthday, Walt Disney World Resort employees surprised him with a free trip to the parks, complete with a hug from Mickey Mouse.
It seems Mickey took notice. Less than a week after closing up his hurricane hot dog stand, Disney employees showed up outside of an interview with “Good Morning America” to deliver his gift in person. He even got a hug from the Mouse himself.
“When Mickey came out, I was just really happy,” he said in a video from Disney.
Jermaine and his family will visit the Orlando parks sometime later this month when he’s not in school. But knowing he helped hundreds of people makes it worth the wait.
“Be strong, and if you do good things, you will be rewarded,” he said.
