text: A Kansas City man who graduated from high school in 1977 has been saying thank you to the teachers that left a lasting impression on his life - by sending them sums of money. Kevin Perz, 56, a father-of-four and business owner, has been looking up the teachers he has the fondest memories of from his days at Parkway Central High School in Chesterfield, Missouri. Over the past few years he has been mailing them a 'gift'. It started in 1992, when he sent a check to his calculus teacher made out for $5,000. Then in 2002, he sent a $10,000 check to his former business teacher. Huge gesture: Kevin Perz, 56 (right), a father-of-four and business owner, has been looking up the teachers he has the fondest memories of  mailing them a 'gift'. He recently sent Marilyn Mecham (left), his onetime home economics teacher, a check for $10,000 . The thank you note: This is the letter Kevin Perz sent his former teacher, which had a $10,000 check attached to it. In it he says he would be 'sad' if she didn't spend the money on herself . Perz (left) recently sent Marilyn Mecham (right), his home economics teacher in 1977, a check for $10,000 . However the person he really wanted to surprise - his home economics teacher - was the hardest to find, because Perz only knew her as Mrs Mecham. Perz enlisted the help of the Alumni Association, who went through decades-old board room minutes. They were then able to uncover the name for Perz - Marilyn Mecham. From there, Perz was able to find a phone number for Mecham's son, who he called and asked for her information. Perz then called Mecham and told her how long it took him to get to that point. 'I was so appreciative to have somebody spend all that time looking for you to tell that you meant so much in their life,' Mecham told ABC News. Mecham was moved by the call, and took to her Facebook profile to urge others to reach out to someone who had impacted their lives. Flashback: Marilyn Mercham (left) was in her first year of teaching when she had Perz (right) as a student at Parkway Central High School in Chesterfield, Missouri, in 1977 . Kind: Perz said he felt it important to show the people who had impacted his life how grateful to them he is . However that wasn't the end of it. Two days later she received a handwritten letter from Perz, reiterating what he had told on the phone. Attached to the letter was a check for $10,000. Perz had written he would be 'sad' if Mecham didn't spend it all on herself. 'She called me Monday - she said she got it Friday and she spent the whole weekend crying,' Perz told ABC News. 'Everybody in their life can always think back to someone in their life who had an impact, if it's a teacher or a boy scout leader or anyone.' Great teacher: Marilyn Mecham was in her first year of teaching when she taught Perz in home economics . Perz owns a company called Dynamic Fastener, which sells tools and fasteners to commercial contractors throughout the country. The experience has left a lasting effect on Mecham, who was in her first year of teaching when she taught Perz. 'Gratitude is something in this society today that we just don't do enough of,' Mecham told ABC. 'It's made me stop and think who do I want to thank,' she said. 'Whatever I did my first year of teaching was quite unremarkable but what Kevin has done is really remarkable.'
target: Kevin Perz, 56, owns a construction equipment business in Kansas City .
  He has spent time over the years tracking down high school teachers and sending them checks to thank them for making an impression on him .
  Marilyn Mecham taught Perz home economics in 1977 at Parkway Central High School in Chesterfield, Missouri .
  He sent her $10,000 and told her to spent it all on herself .
  'Gratitude is something in this society today that we just don't do enough of,' Mecham said of the gesture .