Tulsa Educators Create Go Fund Me To Help Beloved Custodian

<p>A Tulsa principal is asking for help after a beloved school custodian falls on hard times.</p>

Wednesday, November 1st 2017, 7:03 pm

By: News On 6


A Tulsa principal is asking for help after a beloved school custodian falls on hard times.

Kenneth Joslin, the principal of Mayo Demonstration, said it's hard to find someone who works harder custodian Linus Altenor, so when he heard of his troubles he had to help.

Educators at the school said Altenor is the best of the best, keeping up with the mess of 400 elementary students – and Altenor said he loves every day.

"I love my job, I love the kids," he said. "Even the Pre-K kids know my name. All the kids know my name. And I can't say enough about the teachers.”

And they can't say enough about him.

Joslin said Altenor - or as the kids call him, Mr. Linus - is one of the hardest workers he's ever seen, and he does it with a smile.

"The kids love him, the parents love him, the staff adores him," Joslin said. "He's just always happy."

But Wednesday morning, Altenor came to Joslin in a panic.

A family friend had dropped off Altenor at work and went back to pick up his kids and take them to school. The friend was driving Altenor’s SUV and crashed into a motorcycle.

11/1/2017 Related Story: Motorcyclist Seriously Hurt In Tulsa Crash With SUV

Police said the motorcycle was headed west on 46th Street North when the SUV turned in front of him and the driver of the bike could not stop. They said the victim went to the hospital with several broken bones but is expected to be okay.

Police said the driver of the SUV was not paying enough attention to the road.

After the crash, Altenor's family called him to tell him what happened. He said his main concern was for the motorcycle driver.

“I hope he’s alright. That’s my main concern. I don’t know who he is, I don’t know how to get in touch with him or is family to find out how he is, but that’s my main concern,” he said.

The crash also caused major damage to the SUV, leaving Altenor - a widower raising four kids alone - without a way to work; another struggle for the single father to overcome.

"We've been through a lot - with my daughter having seizures and I had a stroke back in 2014," he said. "I'm doing the best I can."

Joslin said the incident made his heart sink.

"Panicking like, ‘How do I get to work?’ He is so reliable and I knew that was a big deal to him. It's like, ‘I don't have a car to get to work,’" Joslin said.

So, the principal created a Go Fund Me page, hoping to raise money to help Altenor fix his car and help get his life back on track.

"I'm an emotional guy, but he means a lot to us. He means a lot to us," Joslin said.

The Go Fund Me has already raised more than $2,000 - much of that money coming from already cash-strapped teachers. If you’d like to help, you can donate here.

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