After deadly fire, Hartland boys surprise friend with new Jordans

A group of Hartland boys surprised their friend, a survivor of an apartment fire that killed six people, with brand new Jordan shoes, working for two weeks to raise money to buy them for him.

HARTLAND, Wis. - A group of eighth-graders is rallying behind their good friend after he lost everything in the tragic Hartland fire that killed two adults and four children.

For two weeks, they raised money for one special gift and surprised their friend at school on Thursday, Nov. 3.

Some of the best friendships are formed at a young age.

"We’ve always had a strong bond together," said Daniel Holmes.

These eighth-graders are teammates on and off the court. When they heard heartbreaking news about a fire involving their friend, they knew they wanted to help him rebound.

Fatal fire at Hartland apartment complex

"My first thought was, ‘Is he OK?’" said Brody Pfeiffer.

Their friend Ariel was one of the victims of a tragic apartment fire Oct. 21.

"I was concerned because I didn’t know if he was injured," said Cyrus Gibes-Pearl.

Ariel and his family were able to escape the flames.

For his friends, relief turned into a desire to help.

Aftermath of Hartland apartment fire, six dead

Pfeiffer started a group chat, asking for donations.

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"Immediately, I got 10 or 20 responses saying, ‘I’ll give some money.’ ‘I’ll give some money.’" said Pfeiffer.

The boys wanted to do something special and quickly figured out the perfect gift.

"That sparked the thought that Ariel had just bought Jordans, brand new Jordans to school," said Pfeiffer.

For two weeks, the boys collected money mowing lawns and putting aside some extra cash from lunch, raising more than $300 to replace a pair of shoes lost in the fire.

"Being as young as we were, there wasn’t much we could’ve done, but this is something I felt we needed to do," said Pfeiffer.

They surprised their friend at lunch with a new pair of Jordan 1 shoes.

"I could tell that he really appreciated it," said Connor Tierney.

Their small gesture is going a long way, showing true friendship is good for the soul.

"I know it’s not like, a super huge thing, but it’s what I could do being a 13-year-old," said Pfeiffer.

The boys said Thursday there was some money left over with more donations coming in. They're planning to take that extra money and do something else that is special for their friend.