Waiter Who Defended Boy With Down Syndrome Gives All Donations To Charity
Last month, Michael Garcia made a lot of people smile. The 45-year-old, who is a waiter at Laurenzo’s Restaurant in Houston, Texas, refused to serve a family who insulted Milo Castillo, a five-year-old with Down Syndrome, by suggesting that "special needs children need to be special someplace else."
The story became national news after being picked up by Houston's 29-95 blog, and folks started giving Garcia donations, in part to make up for the tip he lost when he told the offending family to take a hike.
In total, Garcia received over $1,000 in cash, but instead of keeping the money, he donated it to Milo's school. Milo attends the Rise School of Houston, which is described as "the city’s first and only school that offers an integrated learning environment to children born with Down Syndrome and other developmental disabilities."
The school celebrated Garcia's good heart and generosity with a celebration in his honor, in which Garcia was presented with a special crown for his good deed.
Still, Garcia doesn't think his actions were that big of a deal.
“The children are the real heroes,” he explained. “I don’t feel like a hero in any way. It’s the children. That’s what this is about, helping the children.”