A deli co-owner in Staten Island, New York, has gained widespread attention on social media for a scheme that rewards local schoolchildren with cash and free items for good academic performance. Wail Alselwi, who runs Zack's Finest Deli & Grocery and is known as "Island Ock," began the "Grades for Grabs" initiative as an informal bet with one student before it grew into a community-wide movement, drawing children from across New York and beyond to show him their report cards.

Under the scheme, students with strong grades can receive up to $100 in cash as well as snacks and school supplies. The programme has run for three years, with videos of participating children racking up millions of views online, and a GoFundMe campaign supporting it has raised more than $575,000 towards a $650,000 target. Alselwi said he hopes to expand the initiative to cities across the United States, noting that families have travelled from other states and even Canada to take part, and revealed he launched the project during a difficult period in his own life with encouragement from his brother.