The school’s boys’ basketball team was flying to Tauranga earlier this week to compete in the AIMS Games, when a man went over to one of the boys with a $100 note.
The man told him it was for him to buy ice creams for his team-mates and wine for their mums.
Principal Andrew Hunter said he was stunned by the gesture.The pupil tried to return the money, but the man would not take it back, he said.
"Go figure.
"Knowing the boys, coaches and parents, they’re a really lovely group of people and it doesn’t surprise me that someone saw some merit in doing something nice for them," Mr Hunter said.
He wanted to thank "the gentleman", not only for his "very kind gesture", but for helping the boys to learn an important life lesson.
"What it shows them is that if they weren’t kind and respectful, I doubt the gentleman would have handed over the $100.
"It’s all about relating to people and being respectful and nice.
"Clearly the boys made an impression."
He confirmed the money bought ‘‘a really good ice cream haul’’ for the boys.The team had been working hard to raise enough money to attend the games and had become a close-knit group as a result, he said.
"Tauranga is a very expensive place to get to from Dunedin.
"It’s the first time we’ve been able to afford to send a team to the AIMS Games in Tauranga."
The boys were thinking about a way to "pay it forward" by doing something nice for others in the community, he said.
