Little A and Big A visit NYC for TV interview

Times Square in New York City is a long way from the rural hunting fields of Chester County, S.C. But “Big A” and “Little A” now are the king and prince of both sleepy Chester and the city that never sleeps.

Little A, 9 years old and in the fourth grade, had good reason to skip school Wednesday, and Big A had an excuse for being out of his home county. The new friends – whose hunting trip two weeks ago became an international feel-good sensation about caring for kids after a mix-up that started with coverage in The Herald – spent hours preparing for national television and meeting stars.

“Awesome!” Big A said.

“New York!” Little A said.

Alex “Little A” Collins and Chester County Sheriff Alex “Big A” Underwood spent most of Wednesday at NBC in New York where the two, and Chester County, Pa., Sheriff Carolyn “Bunny” Welsh, taped a segment for a later edition of “The Meredith Vieira Show” and did what tourists do: Take a selfie with “Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon, and other great stuff.

Little A and his mother, Leslie, made the trip with Welsh for the show and Underwood was brought in to surprise him. Little A’s face lit up and he thought that Big A, his new best friend, would maybe move to Chester County, Pa. Or that Little A and his mom could move to South Carolina.

And it all started with an error.

Underwood’s office in South Carolina was hosting a hunting and fishing trip in December for kids who had no chance to enjoy the outdoors, and posted the event on the Chester County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page. Little A, his mother and even his teacher thought the trip was Chester County in Pennsylvania, so Little A applied saying his mom was sick, and a single parent, and he had nobody to take him hunting. He begged to go.

But it was the wrong state. Alex cried and his little heart broke.

When Sheriff Welsh found out about the mix-up, she called Underwood, a friend, and the two arranged for Alex Collins to fly to South Carolina after Christmas. Little A spent three days hunting and fishing with Big A, was treated to new gear, and even staying at the sheriff’s home.

The thrill, the joy, the love shown to a kid who wanted to go hunting and the adults who made it happen, spread across the Internet from The Herald to readers around the world.

Leslie Collins has described what happened as “The best mistake I ever made in my life.”

But Little A now knows that a mistake can be fixed, if adults take the time to fix it. Welsh and Underwood sure did. And the ride continues.

“We stayed in a hotel in Times Square – he just had a ball,” Leslie Collins said. “And I finally was able to meet Big A in person. What a wonderful man. Just terrific.”

And now, national TV.

“It was a great experience,” Underwood said. “Especially for Little A.”

Underwood’s appearance was a surprise for Little A, who was so distraught that his big best friend was not there and tired of interviews that he was ready to hide. Then Big A walked onto the set and all was right in the world of Little A again.

“It just goes to show that all kids need is people to spend time with them,” Underwood said.

Little A, who was so tired after the New York trip that his mom let him stay home from school Thursday, is expected back to Chester County, S.C., in the spring to hunt for turkeys with Big A.

The NBC show is expected to air Feb.2

This story was originally published January 15, 2015 at 9:34 AM with the headline "Little A and Big A visit NYC for TV interview."