At first glance, State Schools Superintendent Nancy Grasmick and Baltimore Ravens linebacker Adalius Thomas might not seem to have a lot in common.
Grasmick made her mark in education as she rose to become Maryland?s first female state superintendent, while Thomas? fame has been gained with thunderous hits on the gridiron. But the two noted Marylanders do share one passion: mentoring.
“Mentoring increases academic achievement and decreases the chance that a child will get involved in drugs or criminal activity,” Grasmick said.
Grasmick, Thomas and Bob Heck, host of “Bob the Vid-Tech Show” on Maryland Public Television, were among 400 people who attended Thursday?s third annual MentorZing, a fundraiser for the Maryland Mentoring Partnership at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore. The event raised about $250,000, said Linda Stewart, the partnership?s executive director.
“It?s a celebration of the people who have been involved in fundraising,” Bill Reinhard, a spokesman for the Maryland State Department of Education, said of the event.
The Maryland Mentoring Partnership, a nonprofit, is the state?s largest mentoring organization. It serves more than 45,000 young people by linking them with older, positive role models who can give them solid life advice.
