$1,200 in school lunch debt wiped out by town's businesses

KENNEWICK, Washington (KTRK) -- Several business owners teamed up to pay off an entire elementary school's lunch debt.

Joel Watson, the owner of Just Joel's, joined forces with the owners of Hot Tamales and Jiffy Car Wash to pay off the lunch debts of dozens of students at Southgate Elementary School.

Watson said he wanted to do something for his community, and other business owners were eager to help out and make the donation of $1,200 possible.

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"I just want to do something for the community, something selfless. I feel like paying this debt back is pretty cool," Watson told KEPR.

The school district wouldn't confirm the kind act, but Watson posted the check he used on the restaurant's Facebook page.