New York Deli Owner Rewards Students for Good Grades — And His Small Idea Has Raised Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars

A New York deli owner wanted to give children a reason to feel proud of their academic achievements. What began as a simple promise to one student has since grown into a community initiative that rewards young people for working hard in school, improving their grades, and believing in their own potential.

Wail Alselwi, widely known online as “Island Ock,” helps run Zack’s Finest Deli & Grocery in Staten Island, New York. In 2023, he came up with an idea that was as straightforward as it was meaningful: students who worked hard to improve their grades could receive rewards from his neighborhood store.

There was no complicated application process or elaborate school program. Instead, students could bring their report cards to the deli, show what they had accomplished, and celebrate their progress with someone who genuinely wanted to encourage them.

That simple idea eventually became known as “Grades for Grabs.”

Today, the initiative has attracted widespread attention, inspired thousands of supporters, and generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations. According to Alselwi’s official fundraising page, the money helps him continue rewarding students with cash, snacks, and other items that recognize their academic efforts.

The program's central message is simple: children deserve encouragement when they work toward a goal, and that encouragement should not be reserved exclusively for those who earn perfect grades.

For many students, a report card represents months of studying, completing assignments, overcoming difficulties, and trying to do better than before. Alselwi has turned that familiar piece of paper into an opportunity for young people to feel recognized, supported, and motivated to keep going.

A Simple Promise That Started Something Bigger

Every meaningful community initiative has a beginning, and Grades for Grabs started with a personal interaction rather than a large organization or a major financial investment.

In 2023, Alselwi made a deal with a local student: if the student improved his grades, he would receive a reward. What might have seemed like an ordinary conversation between a shop owner and a young customer became the foundation of a much larger effort.

Rather than simply telling children that education was important, Alselwi offered them a tangible way to celebrate their hard work.

The arrangement was easy to understand. Students studied, worked toward better results, and returned to the deli with their report cards. In exchange, they could receive something that made their accomplishments feel special.

As the idea developed, more students became interested. A reward that initially involved one young person gradually became an opportunity for other children in the neighborhood to participate.

The concept eventually took on the name Grades for Grabs, reflecting the idea that students who achieved their academic goals could choose rewards from the store.

The deli itself remained an ordinary neighborhood business. Customers still came in for food, drinks, and everyday essentials. But for children participating in the initiative, the shop became something more: a place where their efforts at school could be acknowledged in a personal and memorable way.

The story has been covered by NBC New York and other news organizations. In a May 2025 report, NBC New York described how Alselwi rewarded students who earned strong grades while also recognizing children who showed improvement, perfect attendance, or other school achievements.

That distinction helps explain why the initiative has attracted attention beyond the immediate neighborhood.

Grades for Grabs is not simply about handing out free products. It is about creating a moment when a student can see that someone outside the classroom has noticed the work they are putting into their education.

For a child who has spent weeks preparing for tests or struggling with a difficult subject, that recognition can make an otherwise routine report-card day feel like a celebration.

How Grades for Grabs Works

The basic idea behind Grades for Grabs is straightforward: students bring their report cards to Zack’s Finest Deli & Grocery, and Alselwi rewards them for their academic performance or progress.

Depending on their achievements and the program's reward arrangements, students may receive free snacks, other items from the store, school supplies, or cash prizes.

Reports from NBC New York and other outlets have described rewards for students with particularly strong grades, including cash prizes of up to $100.

For students who reach especially high academic averages, the reward can be substantial by a child's standards. But the value of the initiative cannot be measured by the amount of money given to each participant.

A snack or a small gift may be enjoyable in itself. A cash prize can provide a more significant incentive. Yet the experience also gives students an opportunity to explain what they have accomplished and receive direct encouragement from an adult who is excited to see them succeed.

That personal interaction is an important part of the program.

Instead of receiving an anonymous reward, children are welcomed into the store, encouraged to share their results, and congratulated on their achievements. The process makes their academic progress visible and gives them a reason to feel proud of their work.

The arrangement also creates an opportunity for parents and guardians to participate in the celebration. Families can see their children being recognized for their effort, while the students receive positive feedback in an environment outside school.

For some children, that experience may become a memorable part of the school year.

A report card can sometimes feel like a judgment, particularly when a student is disappointed by a result or compares their grades with those of classmates. Grades for Grabs offers another perspective: academic performance can be an opportunity to celebrate success, discuss progress, and identify reasons to keep improving.

The program's emphasis on encouragement makes it appealing to students who might otherwise feel that their accomplishments go unnoticed.

And because the rewards come from a familiar neighborhood store rather than a formal ceremony, the experience can feel approachable rather than intimidating.

Why the Program Does Not Reward Only Straight-A Students

One of the most significant aspects of Grades for Grabs is its recognition that students do not all begin from the same place.

Some children consistently earn excellent grades. Others struggle with particular subjects, need more time to understand new material, or face circumstances that make school more challenging.

A program that celebrates only perfect report cards could easily overlook students who are making genuine progress but have not yet reached the highest academic averages.

Alselwi's initiative has also recognized improvement, allowing students who are working to raise their grades to receive encouragement.

That approach changes the message children receive.

Instead of suggesting that only the highest-performing students deserve recognition, it communicates that effort and progress can matter, too.

Consider a student whose grades have remained around 60 percent. After months of studying more consistently, asking teachers for help, and completing assignments, the student begins earning results in the 70s or 80s.

That student may still have work to do. The improvement does not mean every academic challenge has disappeared. Nevertheless, the progress represents a meaningful achievement that deserves acknowledgment.

The same principle applies to a child who has struggled with mathematics, reading, or another subject and finally begins to understand the material.

Recognizing that improvement can help reinforce the idea that academic ability is not defined by a single report card.