Full Breakdown
Staten Island Deli Turns Report Cards into Cash and Snacks
9/6/2026, 12:34:37 AM
The “Grades for Grabs” Incentive Program
Co-owner and manager Wail Alselwi runs the “Grades for Grabs” initiative at Zack’s Finest Deli & Grocery on Staten Island. He says students who present strong report cards can leave the store with up to $100 in cash, plus snacks and school supplies. The program, which began as a single bet with a local student, now draws “thousands of kids” who line up to show their grades.
Origin and Personal Motivation
Alselwi explains that the idea emerged during a difficult period in his life. He credits his brother for encouraging him to start the effort, describing it as a way to lift himself out of that darkness.
Reach, Funding and Community Support
Over the past three years, the initiative has attracted national attention on social media, with some videos garnering millions of views. A GoFundMe campaign linked to the program has raised more than $575,000 toward a $650,000 target, and supporters from other states and Canada have traveled to participate. Alselwi notes that parents actively encourage their children to take part, seeing the program as a positive reinforcement for academic effort.
Official Statements & Future Plans
He frames the effort as a community-level strategy to celebrate academic achievement and provide tangible rewards for students and families.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It started with one report card, one kid and one milkshake. Just like that. I had a bet with a kid named Zameir Davis that if he had good grades, he can get to grab whatever he wanted,” — Wail Alselwi, co-owner and manager
- “Man, I want to take the program [to] the next level. Like, I [want to] take it into every city in [the] United States, not just to keep it here in New York,” — Wail Alselwi, co-owner and manager
- “Because at a time in my life, I was really down. And my brother motivated me to get back up,” — Wail Alselwi, co-owner and manager
