Walmart Rewards South Carolina Principal Henry Darby With A $50,000 Check For His Dedication To Students

A South Carolina high school principal’s dedication to his students has garnered him warranted praise and support from his community and a big name retailer.

Henry Darby, principal at North Charleston High School and 4th district city councilmember, took on a third job at a local Walmart to ease his students’ families’ financial burdens.

The dedicated educator works the overnight shift at the mega-retailer to help raise money for students in need, the Today Show reported. According to the morning show, 90% of the students at his school live below the poverty level. Darby also does wellness checks on his students on the weekends.

A high school principal in North Charleston, South Carolina has gone viral for taking on an extra overnight job at Walmart to help his students in need. @craigmelvin introduces us to Henry Darby, and Walmart presents a surprise donation of $50,000 to his school. pic.twitter.com/w8WToo9RCa

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) January 29, 2021

“I get emotional because when you’ve got children, you’ve heard slept under a bridge, or a former student and her child are sleeping in a car. I wasn’t going to say no,” Darby expressed in tears during an interview that aired on Friday.

“At my age, we don’t ask for money; we just don’t,” he continued. “You just go ahead and do what you need to do.”

Initially, Darby didn’t disclose that he was already working three jobs with anyone– not even his manager at Walmart. And he didn’t expect to go viral over his actions. According to the morning show, Walmart wanted to recognize Darby for his acts of kindness and generosity. The retailer reached out to the television program, and producers contacted the humble man to feature him.

“It leaked out, and this is beyond my greatest imagination,” he said.

Darby acknowledged his mom for his sense of duty and explained that she taught him how to be of service to others without expecting reciprocity.

Because of his selfless work on behalf of the students at North Charleston High School, Walmart coordinated a surprise for the unsuspecting principal– the company presented him with a $50,000 check on air.

“You’re awesome, and we appreciate you here at Walmart for all that you’re doing to support your community,” his manager told him during the segment.

“I’m speechless,” Darby replied. “Thank you so very much. This is going to go a very, very long way.”

According to his bio, the father of three daughters is also the founder of Citizens Patrol Against Drugs (CPAD). The organization patrolled the Liberty Hill section of the city to curtail the sale of illegal drugs. The program was so successful that it reported no drug-related deaths for 11 years after the CPAD ended its patrol. The CPAD’s tactics were studied by three law enforcement agencies in South Carolina. It also spanned the patrol to five other communities in the city where drugs were rampant.