Mattapan School Turkey Giveaway

The partnership with the Thomas family started small, Holt says, and continues to grow. It began with the Thomas Foundation providing some small incentives for the students and hosting a parent night to encourage their involvement.

Now, during the football season, Adalius Thomas visits the school once a week to personally mentor students. During the off-season, he and his wife check in with the school via e-mail and telephone to check on specific students and the school’s general progress. He also assisted the school in securing a donation of computers and forged a partnership with Baltimore County firefighters to serve as additional mentors for students.

Principal Brewster makes a presentation to Adalius Thomas.

For the last three years, Adalius Thomas has paid for hundreds of Johnnycake students to attend Ravens games. “In order to attend,” Holt explains, “these children have to do all their homework and classwork and have to be on ‘green’ [which means good behavior]. Usually about every six weeks, the names of all the eligible students are assembled, and we do a drawing to select 90 children to attend a game – 30 each from the third, fourth, and fifth grades.”

 

Principal Brewster notes, “Since Mr. Thomas has been involved with the school, we have had fewer referrals to the office, especially during football season when children are working to earn a ticket to the Ravens game. This means more children are in class learning and we are seeing the results in terms of improving student achievement.”

In addition, in 2005, the Thomas family provided holiday gifts for 25 students. “Rather than bringing an entourage, like most celebrities,” Holt notes, “Adalius and his wife came with her parents and her brother – who were visiting them for Christmas.”

As Adalius Thomas said to the Catonsville Times, “Everyone has to have a purpose in life. And this is my purpose…[It’s] both my obligation and my pleasure to help.”