A St. Clair Shores boy went out of his way to do a good deed, and it was caught on porch camera

10-year-old Semaj Alexander meets homeowner after fixing decoration

ST. CLAIR SHORES, Mich. – A 10-year-old boy went out of his way to do a good deed for a St. Clair Shores homeowner, and it was caught on video from a porch camera.

Semaj Alexander was walking home from school Wednesday when he noticed a neighbor’s Christmas decorations.

“I saw that the tree was moved over, so I fixed it,” he said. “I looked back because it was windy.”

Semaj said he lives just down the street and has always learned that if something is broken, he should try to fix it, even if it isn’t his.

The homeowner, Aimee Ryan, said she saw everything on her porch camera.

“I looked and see this little boy on the porch fixing my tree,” Ryan said. “It was so cute. He picked it up and tapped it at the end and walked off with a big smile. I just thought how amazing that this little boy did that on his own.”

Ryan posted the video on Facebook, hoping to find the boy. About 2,000 people liked the post, including Semaj’s mother.

“I’m proud of him,” his mother said. “I really am.”

That led to a meeting between Semaj and Ryan, who gave him an Amazon gift card and tickets to a Detroit Lions game.

“It’s always good to do something good for somebody else,” Semaj said. “We don’t have a lot of things. It’s a dream come true. I’ve always been wanting to go to a Lions game.”

There are hundreds of comments on the original video of Semaj. The two families have learned they live just five houses apart, and Semaj has been invited to meet Ryan’s two young children.


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Jamie anchors sports coverage on Local 4 News Saturdays at 6 & 11 p.m. and Sunday at 6 p.m., in addition to hosting Sports Final Edition.

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.