A homecoming king gave his crown to a classmate with Down syndrome
Moments after being crowned at a pep rally, Keny Cedanio Ramirez handed his crown and sash to his friend Axton Kuhl, making him Mahanoy Area's homecoming king.
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At a pep rally in Mahanoy City, Keny Cedanio Ramirez had just been named homecoming king when he saw his classmate Axton Kuhl start to cry. He handed Axton the crown and the sash. Axton became Mahanoy Area's homecoming king. 6abc reported the moment on October 20, 2026, after video of it spread.
Keny told the station he had not expected to win. He was happy for a few seconds, then more interested in cheering his friend up, which he said is what any friend would do. His younger brother has autism, and Keny said he hopes someone would treat his brother the same way. He credited his mother with teaching him the priorities behind the choice. He also said the dance was better than he had imagined, even without the crown and the title.
For the classroom
At a pep rally in Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania, Keny Cedanio Ramirez was crowned homecoming king. A moment later he saw his classmate Axton Kuhl start to cry. Keny took the crown and the sash and gave them to Axton, and Axton became Mahanoy Area's homecoming king. Keny said he was surprised he won and happy for a few seconds, then he wanted to cheer his friend up. He said his younger brother has autism, and he hopes people will be that kind to his brother too. He thanked his mom for teaching him to care about that. He also said the dance was still a good time without the crown.
- What did Keny notice that other people might have missed?
- How do you think Axton felt when he got the crown?
- What is a way to include a classmate without waiting for a special event?
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