![\"The](\"https:\/\/dmn-dallas-news-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com\/resizer\/v2\/FQCBQSUIWRDGFDANZPGXEYEMGI.jpeg?auth=515713966ae2bf8a834b481b9e442e42b34abf888c7ff68eaf29f383d21a67c1&quality=80&width=830\")
<\/p>\nThe J.J. Pearce High School swim team noticed when a familiar face was missing from campus. Their beloved custodian Van Hua Le was suffering serious health issues, leaving him out of work for weeks without pay.<\/p>\n
So, swimmers did what swimmers know best: They dove in.<\/p>\n
The team hosted a Swim-A-Thon on Jan. 16, swimming laps non-stop for more than 4,000 meters \u2014 more than two miles \u2014 and raised about $18,000 for Le, said coach Eric Ewing. Classmates, alumni and parents rallied behind the effort by seeking donations and chipping in to bring the event to life.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt just sort of grew and grew and grew,\u201d said Ewing, who also teaches finance. \u201cI always tell our kids, \u2018The best way to feel good is to do something good for somebody else.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
The team’s efforts were not limited to the Swim-A-Thon. They also surprised Le with a new car and bicycle. Le lives about six miles away from the school, and his commute can take about an hour on bike and even longer on foot.<\/p>\n
Before the Swim-A-Thon, the school district offered Le a job at a school that was closer to Le\u2019s home. But Le turned it down, citing his fondness for J.J. Pearce.<\/p>\n
\u201c[He\u2019s] somebody who wanted to be where we are that badly and is such a good worker and such a good human,\u201d Ewing said. \u201cWe just thought we should help.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the end of the event, Le arrived at the indoor pool where a crowd of students and parents had gathered. One parent, who knows Vietnamese, translated for Le what the team had done. Le started weeping and embraced Ewing, as the parents and students wiped their eyes alongside him.<\/p>\n
The J.J. Pearce High School swim team hosted a Swim-A-Thon to raise money and help their beloved custodian Van Hua Le with his medical bills and recoup lost wages.<\/p>\n
Courtesy of Richardson ISD<\/p>\n
The team is still raising money for Le through a GoFundMe.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The J.J. Pearce High School swim team hosted a Swim-A-Thon to raise about $18,000 for their beloved custodian Van Hua Le.<\/p>\n
Courtesy of Richardson ISD<\/p>\n
While the original goal was to help Le with his medical bills and recoup his lost wages, the effort became about something more, Ewing said.<\/p>\n
The team wanted to show Le \u201chow many people at J.J. Pearce and in the community cared about him,\u201d Ewing said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we got that message across,\u201d Ewing said.<\/p>\n
The DMN Education Lab deepens the coverage and conversation about urgent education issues critical to the future of North Texas.<\/p>\n
The DMN Education Lab is a community-funded journalism initiative, with support from Bobby and Lottye Lyle, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, Garrett and Cecilia Boone, Judy and Jim Gibbs, The Meadows Foundation, The Murrell Foundation, Ron and Phyllis Steinhart, Solutions Journalism Network, Southern Methodist University, Sydney Smith Hicks, and the University of Texas at Dallas. The Dallas Morning News retains full editorial control of the Education Lab\u2019s journalism.<\/p>\n
Q: What was the purpose of the Swim-A-Thon?<\/p>\n
A: The purpose of the Swim-A-Thon was to raise money for Van Hua Le, the beloved custodian of J.J. Pearce High School, to help him with his medical bills and recoup his lost wages.<\/p>\n
Q: How much money was raised during the Swim-A-Thon?<\/p>\n
A: The team raised about $18,000 for Le during the Swim-A-Thon.<\/p>\n
Q: What other support did the team provide to Le?<\/p>\n
A: The team also surprised Le with a new car and bicycle to help him<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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