Here's a story that's sure to bring a smile to your face! Three Unionville Community High School students from Tennessee were recently nominated for homecoming king. But instead of campaigning to win the title, they decided to make the night even more memorable by handing the crown over to junior Scotty Malone, a beloved classmate with special needs.
Nominees Jesse Cooper,Drew Gibbs, and Zeke Grissom talked it over and decided that the winner would hand over the crown to Maloney, who suffers from a genetic condition called Willliams Syndrome. So when Cooper was voted king by the rest of the school, that's exactly what he did. At a ceremony on Friday, the principal announced Cooper's win and then told the entire school (and most of the community) about the plan to crown Maloney.
"When they called [Scotty's] name, his eyes got really big and I don't know that he registered exactly what was happening. He knew something was," Maloney's teacher Liz Hestle Gassaway told ABCNews. "It was very, very emotional."
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And more importantly, the heartwarming gesture seemed to make Maloney's year. Now, he is proudly sporting his crown everywhere he goes. Next year, he will also get to crown the school's new homecoming king.
What a genuinely sweet and selfless thing to do! These boys seriously deserve a round of applause. Their gesture might seem small, but it is something that made Maloney happy and something that he will always remember. Besides, how many other teens would have been willing to give up their title just to make someone else smile? It is so encouraging to know that there still are kind-hearted, compassionate kids out there.
Image via ABC News
