The children had held a walk-a-thon last fall to raise money for an Christmas event at their school but chose at the time to donate any proceeds above and beyond the cost of the event to Ric Ryan - known as the Walking Man of Murphys - for Operation Mend. Many of the children at the school felt as if they knew Ric saying "I wave to him every day."
After the principle, Larry Smith, pinned the check to Ric's chest, the whole student body took a celebratory lap around the track with Ric.
