A roar of cheer and excitement suddenly filled the choir room Wednesday afternoon at the Schindewolf Intermediate School.
Sixth grader Kirstyn ran down the bleachers and over to Jon Weeks, greeting him with a big hug.
"I was dancing to 'The New Girl in Town' by the Hairspray musical and then Mr. Jon, the Houston Texans Cheerleaders and a big check came, and then I started crying," said Kirstyn, sharing her infectious smile. "Tears of joy – that's what it was. Tears of joy."
Kirstyn's choir teacher, Mrs. Buis, nominated Kirstyn for the quarterly #TexansCare campaign that encourages the Houston community to share impactful volunteer stories on social media with the chance of winning proceeds from the Houston Texans Foundation.
"We were fortunate enough to come here today and present Kirstyn and Kirstyn's Krew $2,500 as part of Texans Care," Weeks said. "She's a little, tiny girl with a huge heart, and she's doing amazing things for the community right now."
With the help of her family, Kirstyn created Kirstyn's Krew, a non-profit organization that provides Christmas gifts to children in foster care, and this surprise check coming from the Weeks family made the moment all that more special.
"Mr. Jon took me [and a group of kids] to Target when I was in foster care, and I just got inspired to do that for others that were in foster care because I know how they feel," Kirstyn said.
"I've known her for a couple years now and we think the world of her," Weeks said. "I think right around [Christmas] time, those kids that are struggling need a great Christmas and she does that. She does a great job."
As far as the Weeks family is concerned, the idea of giving back and helping the community is essential.
"It's the most rewarding part of the job," Weeks said. "We need to give back as much as we possibly can, and when you're in that position, I think it's your duty to [give back]. My wife and I try to do that as much as we can. We love to do it and Kirstyn is another great example of doing it as well."
To learn more about Kirstyn's Krew, click here.
To learn more about the #TexansCare campaign, click here.
