Missouri boy, 11, raises funds to pay off classmates' tabs for school lunches

BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. (KABC) -- A fifth grader in Missouri is raising money to help pay off his classmates' debts for school lunches.

Daken Kramer, an 11-year-old from the Kansas City area, knows the importance that a school meal has for students.

"It's important for kids to eat. Like, I don't think they could make it through the day without eating a school lunch," Kramer said.

Blue Springs School District officials said that all students have access to school lunches and those who qualify also get a free breakfast.

Providing meals to the students has led the district to have over $225,000 worth of lunch debt - an issue many schools are facing.

"If everyone kind of gets the notion that we can pull together we can make a difference," Daken's mother, Vanessa Kramer said.

The school district does receive support from businesses to help with debt, but it is unusual for individual families to reach out.

Daken plans to pitch in by raising as much as he can before he transitions to middle school in two weeks. So far, he's raised over $800.

A PayPal account has been created to help Daken with his mission to pay off his classmates' school lunch debt.