Chris Lange, FISM News
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TV star and entrepreneur Marcus Lemonis, perhaps best known for his role as the host of CNBC’s “The Profit,” stunned the employees of a Miami-Dade Catholic high school when he announced that he was giving each of them a check for $18,000, according to a CBS Miami affiliate. Lemonis made the surprise announcement at a schoolwide assembly where 1,600 students, teachers, and other employees of his alma mater, Christopher Columbus High School, had gathered on the school’s football field to hear a surprise “guest speaker.”
“Today, I’ll be providing a $3.1 million tip to everybody who works here,” he said to the shocked crowd. “You’ll be sharing it. Whether you’re a school teacher, whether you are in the maintenance department — every single employee will receive a check for $18,000.” Lemonis gifted an additional $7 million to the school to build two new campus centers.
The surprise announcement was met with thunderous cheers from the crowd as some broke down in tears.
“If you could’ve taken a picture of my face, it would’ve been a meme,” said Erin McGrath, 36, who teaches English at Columbus. “My heart is happy. It’s so full. I’m speechless.”
“It’s amazing what Marcus just did. He changed my life,” said Omar Delgado, another teacher who also serves as the school’s technical specialist. “When do you get an $18,000 gift? That doesn’t happen. That happens in movies!” Delgado added that he and his wife are expecting their second child.
The donation is part of Lemonis’ “The Great American Tip Off” initiative, which he kicked off in November by pledging $50 million from his Lemon-Aid Foundation to tip servers and other workers across the nation.
Born in Beirut, Lebanon, Lemonis was abandoned at an orphanage when he was only four days old. He became a U.S. citizen at nine months of age when he was adopted by an American couple, both U.S. immigrants. The Camping World CEO, “Profit” star, and host of HGTV’s “The Renovator” is vocal about his gratitude for American freedoms. Recently, he paid $10,000 in fines to the City of Statesville, North Carolina, for refusing to remove a massive, 40-by-80-foot American flag at one of his stores which the city says violates a size ordinance.
Throughout his successes, Lemonis has maintained close ties with the private, all-male school he credits with giving him the skills he needed to succeed in life. With the unexpected largesse, the school plans to build a center for college and career guidance, which will carry the names of longtime Columbus teachers Pat Call and the late Irene Culmo. The Desmond Family Success Center will be another new addition to the campus.
“Two of the families were school teachers of mine when I went here, and the other family, the Desmond family, is the reason that I came to Columbus. They drove me to school every day. They shepherded me and gave me all of the instructions I needed,” he said, adding, “We know that a lot of these schools are on tight budgets, and if you receive love from somebody, at some point you gotta give it back.”
“We are so grateful to Marcus Lemonis for this transformative and historic gift,” said Columbus High School President Thomas Kruczek. “As a result of this gift, Columbus will be able to offer several important and innovative programs that will additionally prepare our young men for college readiness and career success. Marcus Lemonis is a shining example of living a life of value and service.”
Near the end of his announcement, Lemonis had one last piece of news to give, this time addressing the Columbus students. “There is no school tomorrow!” he shouted, referring to the Friday school day. The impromptu declaration, which hadn’t yet been cleared with school administrators, was met with chants of “Marcus! Marcus! Marcus!” Kruczek granted the request.