Virginia Man Donates Over 400 Fans To Baltimore City Schools For New Academic Year
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The first week of school in Baltimore could also mean some students have to learn in hot classrooms.
Some have stepped up to the plate, however, hoping that fan donations will help cool things down for students and teachers.
Businessman Kahan Dhillon said that he saw the request for space fans from the Baltimore Teachers Union earlier in the summer.
Dhillon went to a Home Depot, stocked up on fans, and started delivering them to several Baltimore City Schools on Tuesday.
"We put out a social media request on my Facebook page for who needed fans," Dhillon said. "Within 24 hours, I had 48 responses. So there is a huge need out there."
Dhillon, a real estate developer from northern Virginia, has ambitions to expand to Baltimore, but said that he is donating the fans because it is the right thing to do.
Union Baptist Church off of Druid Hill Ave. will serve as a pickup spot for teachers who still need fans in their classrooms this year.
"One of the things that I have learned in life is that you don't respond to problems, you respond to solutions," Rev. Dr. Alvin Hathaway, of Union Baptist Church, said. "In this instance, this was a solution to a problem."
The school system has had chronic issues with keeping schools cool in the hot months, and warm in the winter.
Earlier this summer, the teachers' union president explained why they needed more fans.
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- 'It's Inhumane' | Baltimore Teachers Union Holds Fan Drive In Effort To Combat Problems Of Hot Classrooms
- Baltimore Teachers Union Asks For Fan Donations Over Lack Of Air Conditioning In Some City Schools
"It's uncomfortable and, basically, it's inhumane, especially, when you're sitting across from other classrooms and offices where people are sitting in air conditioners," Baltimore Teachers Union President Diamonte Brown said.
The union is now thanking a community that stepped up and provided hundreds of fans and more than $7,000 in donations.
In response to the Baltimore Teacher's Union initial request for fans, Baltimore City Schools said that:
"We are concerned that the large donation of fans could overwhelm our buildings electrical systems, which are some of the most outdated buildings in the state. We don't want attempts to alleviate one problem to cause another issue with our buildings such as blown fuses and power outages."
Dhillon has donated over 400 fans this summer.
