Watch: Students raise money to send janitor on vacation; janitor breaks down in tears over the news

Herman Gordon, a janitor at Bristol University in the United Kingdom, received the gift of a lifetime from students enrolled at the college.

What are the details?

According to The Independent, students raised £1,577 (over $2,000 USD) to send Gordon and his wife on vacation to Jamaica.

Gordon, who has worked as a janitor at the university for over a decade, is described as one of the school staff's most beloved employees.

The Independent reports that students have described Gordon as "the jolliest man," "the epitome of happiness," and an "inspiration" to the school.

The moment Gordon was presented with the donated funds was caught on camera. In the video, Gordon breaks down in tears, pulling a handkerchief out to wipe his eyes after being presented with the money.

Gordon continues to wipe his face as the camera rolls, and smiles, expressing his gratitude for those who gave money toward the gift.

"I want to thank every one of you and God bless every one of you," he says.

What did the students say?

According to the outlet, a group of students started an anonymous fundraising page to receive donations for Gordon, who came to the United Kingdom from Jamaica in 1967.

The Independent reported that the page's description read:

"The Jamaican cleaner in the med library is the jolliest man I have ever met, he makes me smile even when I’m in the deepest depths of revision or trying to be, if you wanna reason to smile go talk to him for a min or two. Anyone who has been to the biomedical sciences library knows who Herman the cleaner is. Simply put, he is the epitome of happiness.

"All year round, this man works hours on end to provide us with a clean working space in which to study. But most importantly, his undying positive energy and chit-chat has managed to turn many students’ dark days into positive ones filled with joy. Whether you’re just feeling generally down and out or stressed out due to exams, Herman is always there to speak to you.

"This legend proves that happiness is not about what you own, what job you have or how much money you’ve got, but about appreciating what you currently have in life."

Gordon, after receiving the gift, said, “I am blessed and feeling good. I think the students should be there with me as well. I try to do my best with the students to help them. When I am cleaning the library, I chat to them and give them advice. I try to encourage to them to do their best in life when they finish their studies.”

What did his wife say?

Gordon's wife — with whom he will celebrate 23 years of marriage in July — said that her husband was emotional when he called to tell her the good news.

“He phoned me and he was so excited that he couldn’t get his words out, he was crying down the phone. He was in shock, but so happy. Just overwhelmed by the students’ kindness,” she said.