Antonio Gwynn Jr. started cleaning the streets on his own after he saw the damage from the George Floyd protests in Buffalo, New York as a self initiative, but he didn't know he would get back so much for what he gave to the people.
He grabbed a broom and started at 2 a.m. on Monday and went on until the next 10 hours, all alone with some trash bags. A group of the area neighbors also set out to clear the litter in the morning and found that Gwynn had already done most of the work.
Gwynn being an 18-year-old student, told CNN that he saw the local news report on the Bailey Avenue in Buffalo being covered in glass and garbage, he started cleaning as he knew people would use that street to get to work later.
His community response was surprising after the word spread about how Gwynn took action after the Black Lives Matter protest, all on his own.
Gifted Red Mustang Convertible
Matt Block, 27, saw Gwynn's story on the news, and that was when he decided to offer him his prized 2004 red Mustang convertible. Block told CNN that he always wanted the car since he was a child, since he only used it occasionally these days, so Block thought to give the sports car to him after he saw Gwynn's Facebook post asking for car buying advice.
This gift gave more surprise to Block just as Gwynn. As Gwynn's mother, who passed away in 2018, also drove a red Mustang. After the coincidence, Gwynn said that he was shocked and "didn't have any words," while Block said that it gave him "goosebumps."
Auto Insurance
Bob Briceland, a local businessman, after knowing about Block's gift, decided to offer a year of free auto insurance coverage as a gift, through his insurance agency.
"I just felt compelled to help him out. We just need to get together our whole city and show people how there's so many good people here," Briceland told CNN affiliate WKBW.
Scholarship
After his high school, Gwynn had plans to study in a trade school and started saving. After this story was heard by Medaille College, Buffalo, they offered him a full scholarship where he planned to study business this fall. One of his aims was to start a cleaning business.
Though this is not the first time he did social work, it was the first time Gwynn received such recognition for his deeds. He is also a member of Kappa Phi doing community service, while helping out at churches.
Gwynn was thankful for the community response. "To be blessed like this it really takes my breath away, I truly Thank everyone from the bottom of my heart," he wrote in his Facebook post.
