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For one Mansfield ISD sixth-grader, a laser-focused mission to spread kindness has garnered national attention and a surprise donation from pop megastar Katy Perry.
Orion Jean, an 11-year-old who attends Alma Martinez Intermediate School, and his philanthropic efforts earned him a spot in the Microsoft Black History Gallery in February.
His “Race to Kindness” campaign has brought in food for those in need and toys for kids in hospitals. Most recently, he was on a mission to share his love of reading to other children by giving them free books. Through a large community effort, he collected more than 500,000 books over the summer for that cause.
"I just wanted to be able to share my love of literacy with as many people as possible," he explained. "It is all about being about to have something that interests you."
Jean has been interviewed by many major news outlets for his efforts. One he will never forget is a sit-down interview with Katy Perry on "The Ellen Show." The episode aired Oct. 25.
At the end of the interview, Perry surprised Jean with $10,000 from her non-profit foundation to help him continue making a change in the community.
Mansfield, Texas, is a booming city, nestled between Fort Worth and Dallas, but with a personality all its own. The city’s 76,247 citizens enjoy an award-winning school district, vibrant economy, historic downtown, prize-winning park system and community focus spread across 37 square miles. The Mansfield Record is dedicated to reporting city and school news, community happenings, police and fire news, business, food and restaurants, parks and recreation, library, historical archives and special events. The city’s only online newspaper launched in September 2020 and will offer introductory advertising rates for the first three months at three different rates.
The Mansfield Record is the only local newspaper serving Mansfield, Texas. Established in 2020, the Mansfield Record is bringing the focus back where it should be.
