DALLAS — On Thursday, students at Life High School Oak Cliff in Dallas screamed and jumped with joy as they heard the announcement over a video call.
"Dallas, Texas Life School Oak Cliff: You won," said Eric Erdman. He called in from Pennsylvania to an auditorium full of people.
The school just won a new fitness center.
Erdman has terminal brain cancer. He is dedicating his remaining time and energy to give back to children across the country. He started Give a Child a Voice in 2016 to put an end to child abuse, bullying and life-threatening childhood illnesses.
Erdman's latest project is the Give a Child a Voice Fitness Center Giveaway.
He said there were about 100 applicants for the giveaway. In late January, Life High School Oak Cliff was chosen as a finalist. Eric visited the campus and students showed him around and shared their stories with him.
Life High School Oak Cliff is a Title 1 school. Many students have faced adversity in their lives.
A teacher named Megan Stinson decided to apply for the giveaway to advocate for the students.
"These are definitely my babies," she said. "I'm so excited for what it means for these kids."
Senior Jessika Howard is grateful.
"It teaches us to not forget where we came from and give back to our community, to always remember that we can always make an impact big or small, and that is what Eric showed us today," she said.
To donate to the cause, visit Give a Child a Voice.