‘Save Tom and Mary Ann’: Cape Coral students help struggling Charlotte Park couple

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Hundreds of Cape Coral High School students are taking action to help a Marine and his wife after seeing their story on WINK News.

Colorful posters hang in classrooms at Cape Coral High School with the words “Save Tom and Mary Ann”.

“I made the green one right there,” said Gage Norvell.

Norvell is one of 430 of students on a mission to raise $8,000 for Tom and Mary Ann Bridges.

WINK News introduced you to the Charlotte Park couple the day after Hurricane Milton’s surge ruined everything in their home.

“I like to think I’m tough ’cause I’m an old marine but I’m not, it’s pretty, anxiety’s been pretty been,” Tom said in the video.

When school counselor Caroline Toadvine saw what Tom and Mary Anne faced, she told WINK News that she knew her students would want to help.

“I was so inspired I thought ‘We can help. We can do this’,” said Toadvine. “When I started telling the students about it they were just fired up they were inspired. Its been powerful.”

Toadvine invited WINK News anchor Claire Galt to Cape High on Friday.

With their eyes glued, the students watched the couple’s story and felt Tom and Mary Ann’s pain.

“I was very overwhelmed I feel really bad for them,” said a student named Ana.

“I imagined my grandparents in that situation and it connected to me personally,” said another student named Hector.

“Made me feel like I want to participate and help them get back what they lost,” said a student named Urijah.

Students say it was the couple’s resolve that touched them the most.

“It brought tears to my eyes to watch this loving caring couple lose so much but stay so hopeful,” said Gemely.

“They’re so cute together, You can tell how nice they are from the video,” said Layla.

“The way that they hold each other so close and so dear throughout the hard times, it just makes me happy,” said Natalie.

“These students are absolutely amazing, I don’t have to work hard to inspire them. I think our community needs to know that there are these students that want to make a difference and serve. that’s what’s amazing for me,” said Toadvine. “I also want Tom and Mary Ann to know there are people who do care and a lot. We always see bad things, but there’s a lot of good. A lot of good.”

The students say they’re going to have lunch with Tom and Mary Ann when they’re ready to deliver the money they raised.

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