The brutal killing of Philando Castile by a police officer during a traffic stop in front of his girlfriend and daughter has been etched in our minds ever since it happened a year ago. But what we will also remember as we honor his legacy, is his charitable spirit.

As a nutrition services supervisor at St. Paul, MN school J.J. Hill Montessori, Castile would help pay for students' lunches with his own money. Per the school district, school lunch can cost about $400 a year for students' families. According to the Star Tribune, over 2,000 students are left with school lunch debt by year's end.

In Castile's honor, Inver Hills Community College psychology professor Pam Fergus started an online fundraiser called Philando Feeds The Children, raising over $70,000 and far exceeding its $5,000 goal. According to CBS Minnesota, that very fundraiser has now raised enough money to eliminate a year of the school's lunch debt. 

“We just had this little idea that we were going to help do Mr. Phil’s job and make sure you guys have good lunch to eat every day,” Fergus said to the lunchroom filled with kids after she and Castile's mother Valerie Castile presented the check to the school.

“We as a community have to work together in order for things to work,” Valerie noted. “This would’ve meant everything to him.”

Of course, Fergus knows that this is just the beginning and there is more work to be done. “Kids gotta eat every semester,” Fergus wrote on the PFTC crowdfunding page. “We are set to help pay off lunch debt this school year, but will keep asking for donations and sharing of this site because we plan to ALWAYS find a way to help! Philando Feeds the Children is gonna be around a LONG time :)”

What a wonderful way to honor Philando Castile! We're so happy for the students, their families and the school!