Child Gives Up Gifts To Help Homeless, Rewarded By Ohio Store

BEACHWOOD, OH — A local company helped make the holidays a little cheerier for a special 9-year-old. The Microsoft store at Beachwood Place Mall gave an incredible collection of gifts — including an XBox — to a boy that gave up his own Christmas gifts so his parents could get blankets for the homeless.

Mikah Frye, a 9-year-old from Ashland County, first came to the company's attention in early December when Fox 8 reported that Frye was giving up his own Christmas gifts — including a much coveted XBox — so his parents could buy 30 more blankets for the homeless.

Frye and his family had spent some time at Access, an emergency shelter, in 2014. That's where the 9-year-old wanted his blankets to go to. Included with the blankets was a message from Frye. It read, simply, "Today, I live in my own house, and someday you will too. Your friend Mikah."

Warmed by the generosity of this remarkable 9-year-old, the staff at the Microsoft Store decided to do something incredible for Frye. Staff at the business setup a party in Frye's honor and threw it on Saturday, Fox 8 says.

"When they called and told me I was just instantly crying on the phone and I couldn't believe it," said Mikah's grandmother Terry Brant recalling when she learned about the surprise. "What's harder was not telling him."

On Saturday, Frye was taken to the back of the store where Santa was waiting for him. Claus had two big bags of gifts that he gave to the 9-year-old, including an XBox. Frye cried as he opened his gifts. It was a rewarding lesson in the virtues of giving.

Photo from Microsoft