Virginia Students Surprise School Janitor With Dream SUV

Vienna, Virginia — It started as a friendship outside the gym of James Madison High School in Vienna, Virginia, between a group of sophomore football players and the school’s janitor, Francis Apraku.

“If we were having a bad day, he was the first one to say, ‘Hey, are you okay?’” said student Bennett Hibshman.. “And then we think, hey, let’s do something nice for him. No one else does that.”

One day the group asked Apraku: if he could do one thing, what would it be?

“My heart’s desire is a Jeep Wrangler,” Apraku told CBS News. “That’s why I’ve been trying to work hard.”

Owning a Wrangler was a pipe dream for Apraku, who regularly sends money to his family in Ghana. So the students started a fundraiser that raised about $22,000 in four months. They used the money to buy a 2015 Jeep Wrangler and surprised him with it earlier this month.

When Apraku saw the Wrangler in the school parking lot, he said the gesture brought him to his knees.

“My leg started shaking,” Apraku said. “I can’t stand, I can’t stand. I panicked! I had to throw myself on the ground and I was crying.”

He was so surprised when he saw his new wheels that he even started rolling on the ground.

“It kind of got to the point where we were like, is he OK? We checked to make sure he was OK and helped him,” said student Logan Georgelas.

The students said he was in disbelief when they finally got him to the car.

“I will never, ever forget today,” Apraku said. Not because of the car, but because of the children.

“I can’t believe this in America, only in America,” he added.

Jeep was also moved by the story, telling CBS News it is giving Apraku a package that will cover oil changes and tire rotations at his local dealership for the next six years.

contributed to this report.