Teen spends 10 hours cleaning up after protest, gets gifted car and college scholarship

While protestors are an important part of any functioning democracy, there is one part of the aftermath that is not so great: all the litter. If you have ever been at a protest site after the demonstration took place, you have probably seen all the piles of trash that accumulated. From plastic bottles to chip wrappers, there is no end to the kind of litter you will find. The sad part is that low-wage government employees from the sanitation department will often be forced to clean up after protestors. Thankfully, in Buffalo, New York, one teen decided to step in and help out.

Antonio Gwynn did not personally participate in the protests that took place in his neighborhood. Instead, he preferred to watch them unfold over Facebook Live. Eventually, he saw that some of the demonstrations became rather destructive. He decided he would not let his community remain littered or expect others to clean up the mess. Therefore, he spent an entire night taking to the streets with bin bags. The 18-year-old spent about 10 hours cleaning up the streets of his neighborhood after leaving his home in the middle of the night. Matt Block, another member of the community, heard about his act of kindness and decided to present the teenager with something special.

So, he gifted Antonio his treasured 2004 convertible Mustang. "I couldn’t come to grips with selling it," he said in an interview with WFLA. "And this was a good way for me to get rid of it and know someone that gets it is going to appreciate it, I think." When insurance company Briceland Insurance Agency heard about Matt's "return gift," they wanted to get in on it too. Therefore, they announced that they would cover the teen's insurance for a whole year. However, that is not all. Medaille College, a liberal arts college in Buffalo, New York, decided to offer the 18-year-old a full-ride scholarship to a program of his choice.

When Antonio heard the news, he literally could not believe it. "I literally stopped, pulled over, and started crying," he shared. "So did my great aunt. My little cousin did also." Originally, the teenager planned to attend trade school until he could save up enough money to attend college. Now, however, he does not have to wait. He plans to study business and mechanics on the side. The young man stated, "I have always wanted to be someone that can help everyone with their car problems. This is a great opportunity I have right in front of me." Though Antonio's mother passed away in 2018, he said he hopes that she is proud of him, wherever she is.