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Steve Carell Surprised 800 High School Students With An Incredibly Sweet Gesture After Many Lost Their Homes In The LA Fires, And We're All In Tears

Siena Giljum
·3 min read

Students at six Pasadena-area high schools have had their lives turned upside down by the Eaton fire, which decimated nearby Altadena and destroyed over 9,000 structures.

Destroyed building ruins with a lone chimney standing amid debris and charred trees, indicating fire damage
Destroyed building ruins with a lone chimney standing amid debris and charred trees, indicating fire damage

As the seniors at these schools try to navigate their launch into adulthood while also dealing with immense trauma and tragedy, Steve Carell wanted to help.

In a video shown at surprise assemblies at six high schools in the Altadena area on Tuesday, the actor gave a very special announcement, according to ABC7 and LAmag.

A man in an office setting humorously yells, "I declare bankruptcyyyy!" with shelves of office supplies in the background
A man in an office setting humorously yells, "I declare bankruptcyyyy!" with shelves of office supplies in the background

No, not that kind.

He starts the video in the most Michael Scott-esque way possible: "Attention. Attention all seniors. This is Steve Carell with a very special announcement."

A person with glasses and a beard is seen in a close-up shot wearing a casual sweatshirt, appearing to speak or express something
A person with glasses and a beard is seen in a close-up shot wearing a casual sweatshirt, appearing to speak or express something

"I work with a wonderful charity based out of Virginia called Alice's Kids," he goes on. "And Alice's Kids wanted me to let you know that they will be paying for all of your prom tickets."

Man with glasses and beard wearing a light sweater looks directly at the camera in a selfie
Man with glasses and beard wearing a light sweater looks directly at the camera in a selfie

"And if you have already paid for your prom tickets, they will reimburse you for your prom tickets," he added.

"It's a pretty good deal. Have fun. Enjoy the prom. And remember...this is Steve Carell. Take it easy, guys," he concludes.

Person with glasses and a beard wearing a casual sweater, smiling indoors
Person with glasses and a beard wearing a casual sweater, smiling indoors

Alice's Kids is a Virginia-based nonprofit that "provides targeted financial assistance to children in need in the hopes of boosting their self-esteem." Steve and his wife Nancy Carell are long-time supporters of the charity.

People were predictably all over this sweet gesture for kids who have been through a lot.

Comment saying it's a thoughtful way to celebrate kids who've experienced significant loss
Comment saying it's a thoughtful way to celebrate kids who've experienced significant loss

Arguably an equal (if not greater) number referenced "Scott's Tots," an episode of Carell's hit comedy The Office. In it, his character, overzealous boss Michael Scott, faces the reality of a promise he made a decade prior — paying for the college education of a class of local public school students.

A group of people wearing matching t-shirts cheer in a classroom, while a man in a suit looks towards the camera. Tweet reads: "Justice for Scott's Tots"
A group of people wearing matching t-shirts cheer in a classroom, while a man in a suit looks towards the camera. Tweet reads: "Justice for Scott's Tots"

Of course, he doesn't have that kind of money and has to fess up and let them down. Fans of the show often regard it as one of the cringiest and hardest-to-watch episodes.

"Great job!! Big Office fan so all I can think about is 'Scott's tots,'" this person wrote.

Tweet by Kevin: "Great job! Big Office fan so all I can think about is 'Scott’s tots'."
Tweet by Kevin: "Great job! Big Office fan so all I can think about is 'Scott’s tots'."

"It's all fun and games until he shows up with a suitcase full laptop batteries," another joked, referencing Michael Scott's consolation prize for the students in the episode. Instead, of, y'know, college tuition.

A man humorously holding a battery pack says, "Hold on, hold on, they're Lithium!" in a GIF shared on social media
A man humorously holding a battery pack says, "Hold on, hold on, they're Lithium!" in a GIF shared on social media

"thank you so much for blessing our students at Pasadena HS with an unforgettable night of memories," this person commented on Alice's Kid's Instagram post.

Comment thanking for providing an unforgettable night of memories to students at Pasadena High School
Comment thanking for providing an unforgettable night of memories to students at Pasadena High School

"THANK YOU FOR THIS!! MY SISTER IS ABLE TO GO TO PROM!!" another wrote.

Comment expressing gratitude: "THANK YOU FOR THIS!! MY SISTER IS ABLE TO GO TO PROM! ???"
Comment expressing gratitude: "THANK YOU FOR THIS!! MY SISTER IS ABLE TO GO TO PROM! ???"

One person asked how much prom costs these days. Alice's Kids responded that prom in Altadena ranges from $50–$185. So, assuming that every prom ticket costs about $117.50 on average, times the nearly 800 students Alice's Kids is covering, the organization is footing about $94,000 for these kids to go to senior prom.

Conversation on Twitter: Dan asks about prom costs, Alice's Kids replies with school-specific prices in Altadena, and Dan praises their work
Conversation on Twitter: Dan asks about prom costs, Alice's Kids replies with school-specific prices in Altadena, and Dan praises their work

The kids at these schools were also ecstatic, judging by sweet videos like this, posted to Alice's Kids X account.

Alice's Kids / Via Twitter: @alicewillhelp

You can watch Steve's full announcement here.

Twitter: @alicewillhelp

We could all use some human kindness right about now. Tell me what you think in the comments!

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