Fifth-grader Anthony Martin arrived to school in style Monday, courtesy of Baltimore Ravens? tight end Todd Heap.
Heap picked up the Elmwood Elementary School student in a limousine as part of the NFL?s Take a Player to School program, in which players stress the importance of education to youths.
“Promoting the importance of education has been a primary focus for years,” said Adina Ellis, a spokeswoman for the National Football League. “Through this program, our players are able to share this message with children. For a lot of these kids, this day is a day they will never forget.”
At Elmwood Elementary, Heap told more than 500 cheering students to put school before sports. Heap is one of 34 NFL players participating in the program, which encourages children to stay in school and become involved in after-school programs.
Backed by the JCPenney Afterschool Fund, which since 1999 has contributed more than $50 million to support children?s programs, the program draws some of the biggest-name players in the NFL to classrooms around the country.
Michael Strahan, defensive end for the New York Giants; Matt Hasselbeck, quarterback for the Seattle Seahawk; and Donovan McNabb, quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, are the national spokespeople for the Take a Player to School sweepstakes.
“We get a great response from the players,” Ellis said.
