The 400 children at Bruns Avenue Elementary have an assembly in the gym twice a week – sometimes it’s to make an important announcement, sometimes it’s to highlight a lesson for the week, and sometimes it’s simply for their principal to tell the kids to have a great day.
Today’s was a little different.
Wide receiver Torrey Smith, DJ Vinny and Sir Purr were on hand with partners Academy Sports & Outdoor to not only surprise some of the teachers with tickets to this weekend’s Panthers game against the Baltimore Ravens along with Academy gift cards, but also to present a $500 gift card to the school itself which principal Marc Angerer says the school will use to help provide more outdoor activities for the children, including playground equipment.
“Today’s the beginning of our second quarter,” said Angerer. “So to bring all of our students back in to an assembly and kick off the beginning of a quarter and get them really excited and to have a great speech by Torrey Smith to talk about leveling up and telling the students that they can work on their leadership and to grow to be leaders – that’s what we want.”
“It’s taking our students and showing them that the outside community has value in their education and so they are seeing what it takes to be successful. We’ve been stressing reading and working on our curriculum, but a lot of it starts with character – once we’re able to build character in our students and build in that sense of community in our students that you saw here today, we’re able to have a greater impact in the classroom.”
The reason Smith – who tries to do something to give back every Tuesday, the players only day off during the week – is so adamant about being involved in the community is that where he grew up in Virginia, he needed some help, too.
“If it wasn’t for other folks giving my family a helping hand at times, I wouldn’t be here standing in front of you,” said Smith, who also donated 400 backpacks stuffed with school supplies, one for every student, before the school year began. “I understand the importance of having a full school supply list before the school year starts, I understand the embarrassment of not having those supplies and it’s not the kids’ fault, they just want to get here to learn; it’s not the family’s fault either, they’re just folks out here trying to survive so anytime you’ve got the opportunity to help, I will.”
“It’s always amazing anytime you have the opportunity to be in front of the kids because I know how much we mean to them because I was that kid.”
Smith spoke to the children about “leveling up” – an acronym that encompasses leadership, education, vision, effort and love – and how it’s not about how you start, but how you finish; that’s a lesson that feels especially poignant coming off of the Panthers’ 21-17 win over the Eagles in which they fell into a 17-0 hole before rallying back in the fourth quarter to win.
“No matter if you’re coming off a great win like we just had or a tough loss, it brings you back down to Earth and reminds you of what’s truly important,” said Smith, who was limping after injuring his knee late in the win over Philadelphia. “This organization cares a lot about this city and it should be that way because the city cares a lot about the organization.”
Smith wasn’t the only one using his day off for good, as defensive end and future Hall of Famer Julius Peppers spent the day in South Carolina’s Marlboro County supporting relief efforts for Hurricane Florence; Peppers announced in September that he was establishing the Julius Peppers Hurricane Relief Fund with an initial donation of $100,000 – that donation was matched by teammate Cam Newton.
Peppers partnered with the United Way Association of South Carolina and more than 20 volunteers from Lowe’s to organize the day-long event as Peppers met with Representative Pat Henegan to discuss the local impact of the storm and worked alongside the volunteers to assist with post-disaster work and interact with homeowners affected by flooding.
“We are so grateful for Julius Peppers’ support of Hurricane Florence relief efforts in the Carolinas and are grateful for the partnership with Lowe’s in this effort,” said Naomi Lett, CEO of UWASC. “This event has given us the opportunity to bring additional resources to a rural community facing another period of long-term recovery just two years after devastating flooding from Hurricane Matthew in 2016.”
In Charlotte, Torrey Smith spoke about the influence that teachers can have on their students – whether it was the six former teachers that he hosted during the Panthers last home game or the fact that his wife taught in a fourth-grade classroom when they lived in Baltimore, Smith feels that educators are some of the most important people in the world; that’s one of the reasons he was so adamant about returning to the school to reward the teachers after an earlier appearance had to be cancelled due to scheduling issues with the team’s practice.
“People don’t understand, they’re not off the clock when the last bell rings, they’re working all times of night [and] spending their own money to make sure these kids are having the things that they need,” said Smith. “I feel like we all have an obligation to do more to help others – teachers are some of the most underappreciated people on this earth. I understand the lasting impact they have on our childrens’ lives and the role they play in continuing to build and strengthen our country.”
That’s also why Smith takes time out every week to give back to the community.
“To whom much is given, much is required – it’s a lot of responsibility that comes with being in this position and there’s a lot of lives that can be impacted by us simply being who we are.”
