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Incenting young people to be good students.
Wail ("Wally") Alselwi, the owner of Zack's Finest Deli & Grocery in Staten Island, New York City, wanted to encourage local students to make good grades.
Two years ago, Wally, 36 told Zamier Davies, then 12 that if he made good grades on his report card, he could select something in the store for free.
"I wanted to help motivate him," Wally told The Washington Post.
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When Zamier proudly presented his report card, with an 88 percent average, he got to choose whatever he wanted, which was a free Oreo milkshake.
With the consent of Zamier's parents, Wally posted their story on TikTok, where other students saw it, and began arriving with their report cards.
"I couldn't just deny the rest of the kids," Wally told The Post, and at first, he bought the groceries out of his own pocket.
When an eighth-grader's report card grades rose from the 20s and 30s to the 70s, 80s and 90s, Wally handed him $100 and told him he could buy anything in the store.
As a parent of three daughters, ages 10, 6 and 2, he is very sensitive to the needs of children and is proud of how well many of the local students are doing.
To help pay for what has become a major program, Wally has a website selling merchandise with his TikTok handle, "Island Ock." (Ock is a slang word for "the man behind the counter of a bodega or deli.")
Seeing these great results, many people want to help, so Wally began a GoFundMe.
"I see the progress the kids make...It pushes them toward greatness," Wally said. "It makes me feel really, really happy."
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