Tornado-ravaged Dallas ISD school gifted $50K in school supplies

Some Dallas ISD students are scoring a big win in the classroom with $50,000 worth of school supplies.

A Dallas Cowboy Kavon Frazier brought joy and much-needed school supplies to kids displaced by last month's tornado with donations from Dollar General.

During a surprise visit Friday, he handed out thousands of dollars worth of school supplies to students at Walnut Hill Elementary.

It's been a tough few weeks for several DISD students and teachers forced to start from scratch. One teacher says it’s been a challenge keeping the kids in good spirits.

With donations from Dollar General, Frazier handed out brand-new backpacks and school supplies to kids who lost nearly everything. Teachers were feeling the love, too.

Walnut Hill Elementary is one of three DISD campuses destroyed by tornadoes that tore through North Texas last month. Students and staff from Walnut Hill were forced to relocate to the old Tom Fields campus with very little school supplies — until Friday.

“At the end of the day, it's not about playing football on Sundays,” Frazier said. “It's about showing everybody positive stuff and being that positive role model to the younger generation coming up.”

Teacher Lennon Formaggini was surprised by the donations hiding in plain sight.

“I walked in this morning. And we've had boxes all over the school with delivery and stuff, so they've just become background noise we'll say,” he recalled.

A Dollar General located off Marsh Lane was also destroyed by the tornado. The company felt compelled to help the community it serves and donated 410 backpacks and school supplies, including for 40 teachers.

“We just get to come and bring the joy and spread the wealth through the school system today,” said Dollar General District Manager Adam Marks.

It was a win for a school working day-by-day to get back on track.

“It's definitely uplifting to see that the community cares and to see that there's that support out there for us,” Formaggini said.

It was just one of several donations made to Dallas schools damaged or destroyed by the tornadoes.

A Dallas ISD spokesperson estimates over $1.5 million has been donated to the district so far to benefit many schools. The biggest donation came from Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.