Walmart donates $50K check to North Charleston High School for Principal Darby’s efforts to give back during TODAY Show interview

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Today Show Anchor Craig Melvin was in the Lowcountry on Friday morning to honor North Charleston Principal Henry Darby for his efforts to give back.

Darby has been working late nights at Walmart near the Tanger Outlets in North Charleston to earn an extra paycheck which he uses not for himself, but to assist low-income students and those in need.

“I didn’t expect the attention,” he told News 2. “I simply wanted to work for Walmart without fanfare and to use those resources for my students. But my very first night someone yelled out ‘hey, Mr. Darby, you work for Walmart? Aren’t you the principal?’ and it blew me out the water,” he said with a laugh.

But news of his goodwill began to spread. Darby spoke with News 2 on Tuesday of this week to explain his efforts to give back – the news, carrying so much impact, reached NBC News in New York.

The Today Show then contacted our station with a plan to shine a spotlight on the principal and long-time Charleston County Councilman.

Today Anchor and South Carolina native Craig Melvin was in North Charleston on Friday for an interview with Darby, now a national sensation.

“We thought, what a cool story to share with the rest of the country,” said Melvin in an interview on News 2 Today. “We decided to come down and share the story of a man who really embodies what a lot of educators have become over the past year in the midst of this pandemic.”

Melvin went on to say that working as an educator during the day and then stocking store shelves overnight – simply for the betterment of others – that is the kind of story that people cannot get enough of right now, a story of hope and helpfulness.

“We spend a lot of time these days talking about death, doom and destruction. So, when we get opportunities to shine a light on something like this, we hope to it,” he said. “We know that these kinds of stories embody who we are as South Carolinians.”

Melvin’s interview with North Charleston High School Principal Henry Darby aired Friday morning on The Today Show.

Immediately following the interview, Walmart presented Mr. Darby with a $50,000 check to North Charleston High School for his efforts to give back to students who need it the most.