"The James Gang" is officially patrolling the jungle gym at a Mankato, Minnesota elementary school, protecting one "special needs" boy from any more bullying.

When a group of James Willmert's fifth-grade classmates saw that he was being teased at recess last fall, they made a pact to have his back, all year long.

Their teacher believes the school's anti-bullying curriculum factored into the boys' actions and resulted in kindness that has gone far beyond the classroom.

The boy, adopted from an orphanage in Colombia, now plays sports with his five new friends after school - an activity he's never enjoyed before.

They even pitched in money to buy him a Playstation gaming system.

"He used to not want to go out for recess or anything, it would be like a struggle," James' mom told KARE-11 News. "And now he can barely eat his lunch to get outside to play with those guys."

(WATCH the video above or READ the story from KARE-TV – *NOTE* the page auto-plays, so adjust your speakers)

File photo on homepage by Gonzalo Dí­az Fornaro, CC