Purdue player's act of kindness to a young girl
Boilermaker, Tario Fuller, Becomes Dream Maker for a Little Girl
Tario Fuller had recently completed his Senior season with Purdue University’s football team. The 6’ 00”, 200 pound running back had an injury plagued 2019 campaign but this young man who hails from Lanier High School in Sugar Hill, Georgia will long be remembered in the Purdue area for his acts of kindness during his collegiate career.
One particularly noteworthy act by Fuller occurred just before Halloween in his Freshman season. The story starts with a little girl shopping with her mother at the Target Store in Lafayette, Indiana just before her 3rd birthday. Young Kinley stared at items in the toy aisle of the store and talked about the potential birthday gifts she wanted with her mother Megan Shufflebarger. A curious Tario Fuller was standing nearby and overheard the mother daughter discussion with interest.
The young man approached the little girl and asked her which one was her favorite and she answered. “ I really lub dis one!” as recounted by mother Megan on her Facebook post. Fuller laughed a bit then grabbed the girl’s toy of choice, a doll, and walked off with it.
The young girl was apparently devastated as it was the last of that particular doll on the shelf. Her mother tried to comfort her by explaining here were other dolls to choose from. Another choice was not needed though as the smiling Fuller approached the ladies and handed Kinley the prize toy and said, “Happy Birthday”. Megan quickly thanked her new friend and snapped a picture of the young man and her daughter with the toy. Quickly the teen disappeared into another part of the store, and the mom had not had a chance to get the young man’s name.
Shufflebarger posted a very well received FB post and pointed to the kindness that the unknown man showed to her daughter. After over 150,000 likes of the story and the photo the incognito do-gooder went viral and later was identified as Tario.
Both Shufflebarger and Tario turned down multiple interview offers from the media. The Communication Director at NBC’s Today Show stated that Fuller just wanted it to be left as a random act of kindness and wanted no credit for doing it.
Mr. Fuller we are sorry but here at PigskinDispatch.com we like to give credit where credit is due in these acts of generosity by folks associated with football. Well done sir!
