A 15-year-old boy was repeatedly caught sneaking into the X-Sport Fitness in the Skokie village of Chicago. The youngster, who was reportedly just trying to play basketball with his friends, had possessed a membership in the past, but it expired when his family could no longer afford it. As a juvenile without a membership, the teen was an insurance liability to the gym so after catching him on the courts several different times, the gym workers were finally forced to call the police. Officer Mario Valenti then showed up on the scene and upon meeting the teen asked the gym workers if he could put $150 towards a membership for the youth.
When gym staff called corporate headquarters to report the situation, the management was so shocked by the policeman’s kindness, they waived an additional $568 to cover a two-year membership for the teen.“At the end of the day, it’s not about gratitude,” Valenti told the Chicago Tribune. “Most of us took this job to help people, not to hurt them.“I’d rather have him playing ball than being on the street and possibly getting into trouble,” he added.