Kent kids honored with free subs, community accolades for lifting tractor off of Akron man
A group of Kent youths who came together to lift a 1,000-pound tractor after the man riding it turned over in a ditch have been honored for their heroics.
Thirteen kids from the West Kent neighborhood, between 8 and 16 years old, jumped into action on June 12 when they found the Akron resident in trouble.
The man they had helped, Matthew Parisi, died in a garage fire in Akron on July 19. The children were recognized during a Kent City Council meeting the next day.
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DaLisa Dunaway introduced the group of kids — Casey Fortson, Codey Fortson, Joshua Thomas, Allen Tidmore, Raiden Felding, Tyler Ellington, Antwan Mack, Omar Lawler, Deshawn Thomas, Keith Stewart and Chase Stewart — to council.
She said she heard the lawn mower go idle, and asked Parisi if he needed help. After he acknowledged that he couldn't move, she told her oldest son to get the kids, and he went and got a group of kids who were playing nearby.
"They lifted the mower up and got him out like nothing, and then they all went back to playing," he said.
Parisi was partially paralyzed after a 2019 hit-and-run crash while he was riding his motorcycle. He woke up in the hospital five days later and was given a 20% chance of walking again, but had regained some movement over time.
Kent Police Lt. Mike Lewis said after news coverage of the incident, "the entire community of Kent took notice." He noted that Parisi was partially paralyzed, but chose to open a landscaping business anyway. Several police officers took candy to the kids and several people contacted the police department wanting to drop off encouraging notes to the kids.
A "friend of the police department" made a donation to each of the students, along with a note. "We all need neighbors like you," the note said. "You are a good kid now, and you will be a good man before long."
Robert Nelson, owner of Penn Station Subs in Kent, also gave each boy free subs for a year.
"They can use them all at once, or once a week," he said. One of the parents of the boys told City Council that Parisi had died the night before the meeting and asked for prayers for his family. Council honored Parisi with a moment of silence.
"It's people like you that make Kent what's best," Mayor Jerry Fiala told the children.
Reporter Diane Smith can be reached at 330-298-1139 or dsmith@recordpub.com.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Free subs, praise for Kent boys who lifted tractor off of Akron man
