NAPLES, Fla. — Benjamin Cronin is the young boy who passed away at Laurel Oak Elementary School in October. Each Culver's location in Naples is giving back to his family on Saturday, November 17.
His friend Ella Houston sat down with Naples Community Correspondent Dominga Murray.
"We were in kindergarten together," she said.
She was with Ben in his last moments and had been in his life for years.
"We had a snowball fight. My mom has a picture at home of me and him throwing a snowball at each other," she said, recalling their childhood.
Ella was also sitting across from Ben at lunch when that emergency call went out in October. School officials say he choked and passed away at Laurel Oak Elementary, shortly after his 11th birthday.
At this time, any additional details around how this happened to Ben are unknown. For Ella, Ben was a good friend who always made people feel included.
"He was a high five-ing little man. He loved to high-five everybody that that went past him," Ella said.
Nigel Griffith is a Culver's manager.
"We have 3 Culver's here in Naples and they're all gonna be doing the event and will be donating 10% of our sales," Griffith said.
People are invited to come out and try Ben's favorite meal; chicken tenders, fries, white milk and vanilla custard.
Ella tells me she wants to turn a time of grief into something positive. Working with the non-profit Kidz 4 a Cause, to honor her friend.
He loved to be kind to everybody. He was one of the kindest kids in our school," Ella said.
