‘You got this’: Philly fathers cheer on nervous boy on first day of school

PHILADELPHIA - A remarkably moving moment was captured on camera on the first day of school in Philadelphia.

The students at Allen M. Stearne Elementary were greeted to a new school year by a chorus of dads and a red carpet on Sept. 3.

DOPE,  supports nearly 500 fathers around the world, according to their website. That support was most recently felt in Philadelphia.   

The fathers, members of the non-profit DOPE partnered with another organization to host HiFives with Dads.

While part of the mission of the event is to celebrate the new school year, it also supplies children with much-needed school-related items such as shoes, accessories and classroom supplies.

In the video, a boy is surrounded by a group of fathers who cheer him on before his first day of school.

Jai Crabbe, the founder of DOPE, explained that the boy was nervous and the men provided comfort and support.

“You got this, it’s all you,” one man says to the boy. “New year, big things,” another says.

The video also shows a line of children walking the red carpet and receiving high-fives.

“We gathered other positive male role models and realized this is greater than we thought,” Crabbe said. “So now we’re on a tour. We’ll go to local schools and encourage and inspire the youth.”