What started out as a relatively minor story about fake Jansport school bags on Monday night has now snowballed into a huge charitable effort. Tonight, businessman Said Perdomo has overseen the donation of almost 100 thousand dollars in school bags and supplies. And, he's handed it all over to Commander of the SPU - and the man who started the drive with maybe three dozen bags - Superintendent Aaron Gamboa. Today he got the second and final big donation organized by Perdomo and 7News was there:
Today again the warehouse at the Car Guys dealership was filled with another delivery of school bags and supplies:
Said Perdomo, Donor/Organizer
"First of all, this is Aquity BPO, 16.5 that they matched for me. This is an Angelus Press, come up to 400 plus Samsonite bags, Extreme, same thing. Mr. Santi and Mr. John Tillett, another man who does no wrong in my eye, Mr. Gillett, good gentleman decided to put $13,000 in supplies on top of that for free. So now this, this is a Romel Berges, RJB Construction. He text me and say that he has $10,000, I say you the joke, no, check with Aldo, wire direct to Aldo. It come up to $13,000, 400 more bags, Everest, Composition Book, Jansport."
"Other than that, Mega-Bingo come in, $3,000, they contact Mr. Gamboa, and we have people that want to donate, and we are not touching no cash, wire straight to the people themk, Mr. Gamboa pick up, do his thing."
And he was doing his thing today - eating on the run, and constantly on the phone fielding calls from members of the public who want school bags - and from all corners of the country.
Supt. Aaron Gamboa, SPU Commander
"It's kinda tough, kinda rough, but I like I say I started it with about 30 to 50 bags, it turned to thousands. It reminded me about a story with Jesus where 5 loaf of bread to thousands for people to feed. It's a blessing, but a lot of work."
The miracle of the loaves didn't require as much work as this. Gamboa had a full team of family and friends packing bags with supplies at his home last night:
Supt. Aaron Gamboa, SPU Commander
"It really going crazy, restless nights. I want to say that I really want to please everyone, but I can't please everyone, because its thousands of people - my daughters getting texts, my wife, me. I passed it down to them to do the logistic part. We will continue over the weekend. We will have to team to deliver the stuff from now until I believe Saturday and Sunday. School is opening Monday I believe and they need their supplies."
But he can't rest right now - the calls don't stop and neither do the demands:
Supt. Aaron Gamboa, SPU Commander
"A lot of people really needs school stuff, but I mek sure I spread it wide - PG, Dangriga, Barranco, Seine Bight, Placencia, Crooked Tree into Corozal - try spread it."
"Thanks again to Jules Vasquez and other media who came and make it big for us, because without you all, it wouldn't have been that same way and also Facebook."
And Said Perdomo who ended up spearheading a much larger effort than he originally imagined when he made this post, says it's been rewarding and instructive:
Jules Vasquez
"In the past 2 days how many bags alone have passed through here?"
Said Perdomo, Donor/Organizer
"Close to 2,000 and stationery important, because those have equal value. If you count what A&R gave us in kind, Santi gave us in kind - alomost $30,000 in stationery alone."
Jules Vasquez
"So what would you say is the total quantum of the donated items, retail value, donated items since you made that one Facebook post?"
Said Perdomo, Donor/Organizer
"Close to $100,000, like $90,000, but $51,000 is actual money, cash gone there, and they match it with in-kind, Santi is $13,000 and Aldo is close to $30,000, so I don't want to say $100,000 but $90,000."
"But $51,000 people in this community, four to five people put up and bang, put their money where their mouth is."
Jules Vasquez
"Obviously people have that money, willing to give away, but it's not everybody they want to give to because of politics or personalities."
Said Perdomo, Donor/Organizer
"So I mean, the only way I can explain that is that they see me put up my money first, they see my friend put up their money first, then it spiralled. And then the other thing is the money went straight to the suppliers, you know, bang. And then they give on top of that for free. So you can't say they are making money, because they are giving away their profit back right to you. Well, I am assuming."
Gamboa has been making donations all day and - as you heard - will continue through the weekend.
