This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Students in Davis School District are getting a little help with their lunch money this year.
Layton resident Damon Burton recently donated $2,000, through the Davis Education Foundation, to pay off the delinquent lunch accounts at the district's 17 Title 1 schools, a designation given to areas with high levels of poverty.
"I called one school and I felt comfortable paying that and I figured I could extend the help a little further," Burton said. "After I called a handful of schools it was hard to feel comfortable not calling the other schools."
Burton, owner of UtahSites.com and SEONational.com, said his donation represents the combined total of unpaid lunch balances at the 17 schools. He said his family frequently relocated when he was young, but he primarily lived in Davis County, and he benefited from free and reduced-price school lunches.
"I just wanted to help out," he said. "All the charities are great out there, but you can think outside the box and make a powerful impact."
Burton's donation was first reported last week, leading to interest from national media outlets.
He said he was surprised by the attention, including messages he received from Wyoming, Ohio, Oregon and Nevada.
"Some of them friends," he said. "The majority I've never met."
Davis School District spokesman Chris Williams said Wednesday it would likely take until the new year, after the holiday break, before Burton's donation is fully applied to delinquent balances.
He said its unclear how many students will benefit, or the number of individual meals Burton paid for, as families pay different prices for lunches based on their income.
"As of late yesterday afternoon they were still going through individual accounts zeroing those out," he said. "That takes a while."
Williams said he could not remember another instance where a donor had paid for delinquent lunches, but he added that community members donate to schools in a variety of ways.
"He is one individual and we have so many people this time of year that just come forward and give and give and give," Williams said.
Twitter: @bjaminwood