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Child’s kindness rewarded by donors
By GRAIG GRAZIOSI
YOUNGSTOWN
The generosity of a 9-year-old Youngstown boy already is inspiring acts of kindness from adults around the city.
Jayson Quesada, 9, used his own money – which he was saving to put toward the purchase of an Xbox One – to fund a pizza party for the 30 children currently living with their parents or guardians at the Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley on Friday.
Jayson originally intended to buy gifts for each of the children individually, but he didn’t have enough money. Rather than giving up, he and his grandmother decided a pizza party would be the next best thing. Monday night, Jayson found himself on the receiving end of the spirit of giving.
A group of adults inspired by Jayson’s decision to use his money to help others visited at his grandparent’s home on the West Side and presented him with a number of gifts Monday, including the Xbox he wanted.
Mike Romeo, a canine handler for the Campbell police and the owner of Tactical Protection and Surveillance Inc., along with Rick and Antje Mosley of Struthers, joined Lynn Wyant, the director of development at the Rescue Mission, to present Jayson with gifts and a plaque commemorating his generosity.
Romeo first heard about Jayson’s act of kindness from local media coverage. Soon after, he decided he would make sure Jayson got an Xbox One.
“I’ve been blessed in my life, and I just want to be able to bless other people, too,” Romeo said.
Jayson exploded with elation upon opening his present, bounding from one side of the room to the other before hugging Romeo for the purchase.
Romeo also told Jayson he’d buy him tickets to a Cleveland Cavaliers basketball game.
Even Michelle Nicks, television news reporter at 21 WFMJ-TV, The Vindicator’s broadcast partner, had a gift for Quesada; a Cleveland Cavaliers’ T-shirt and jersey to wear when he goes to the game.
Meanwhile, an unnamed donor from the Columbus area has made sure Jayson would have no further financial problems helping the children at the Rescue Mission.
“This individual from Columbus said they heard about Jayson and sent us $1,500 worth of gift cards to give to Jayson so he could buy the children at the mission the gifts he originally intended to buy,” Wyant said.
Jayson embraced the donors who came out to reward his generosity, posed for photos, and eventually retreated to his room where he and Romeo began getting his Xbox ready to play.