Draft in D.C. – April 16
All this week Rams Linebacker Chris Draft will be spending time in the Washington D.C. community, culminating with his acceptance of the J.B. Award for Community Service and a tour of the White House’s West Wing! Catch up with Draft’s D.C. Week right here on The Draft Report!
Today is a big day in the District of Columbia, as Chris Draft will attend the NFL Players Association Gala, where he will receive his J.B. Award for Community Service. Draft will also talk Character with a special group of Special Olympians at a Washington D.C. football camp and talk literacy with the National Endowment for the arts.
Here’s Chris’ take on yesterday’s events:
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I got the chance to go over and visit Benjamin Banneker Academic High School. Last year at the J.B. Awards, I was able to do an assembly with U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, Chancellor Michelle Rhee and Warrick Dunn, where we honored some students and parents for their commitment to their community. After visiting Benjamin Banneker, we were able to come back, with the blessing of Principal Anita Berger, and show the Great Debaters to the Banneker students. We showed The Great Debaters and the students were able to participate in an essay contest, from which four winning essays were selected. The winners were treated to a football game, Rams vs. Redskins, and a tour of the West Wing a week before the Obama inauguration. I was excited to visit a school that the foundation has been able to do so much with. Thank you Miss Anita Berger for all that you do. (Pictured: Chris Draft and Anita Berger of Benjamin Banneker Academic High School) |
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The next stop, after waiting for the taxi, was the NFLPA office. From the moment I walked into Demaurice Smith, the new Executive Director’s, office, there was an excitement. The excitement was because of the NFL, not just the NFL, but the men of the NFL. We were excited about the all of the great men, and the chance to be able to show the fans a deeper side of our players. (Pictured: Chris Draft and Demaurice Smith of the NFLPA) |
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After visiting the NFLPA office, it was off to the office of the Environmental Protection Agency. For the last year, the Foundation has been partnering with the EPA through our Asthma Team Initiative. Shooting videos for the EPA gave me a chance to thank the many organizations that will be part of the EPA’s National Forum in June. I had to shoot the video now, because I will be at mini-camp while they are meeting in our nation’s capital. Instead of just shooting one video we took advantage of my time and were able to shoot a few videos that encouraged more communities to be involved with asthma prevention, introduced the Winning with Asthma campaign with the National Lt. Governor’s Association and finally spoke about the importance of healthy air quality in our schools and offices. Thank you Tracey Mitchell for setting everything up. (Pictured: Chris Draft prepares to shoot a video for the EPA) |
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If you are an avid reader of Time Magazine, you definitely know Chancellor Michelle Rhee. She has taken over the D.C. public schools and has committed to changing the way the D.C. schools have been run. Since I adopt cities all over the country, it was important to find out what she felt the D.C. public schools needed. Like many inner-city schools, Chancellor Rhee pointed out a need for more mentors and importance of after-school programs. The meeting will allow the Chris Draft Family Foundation and NFL to work more effectively in the D.C. schools by partnering and enhancing existing programs. (Pictured: Chris Draft and D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee) |
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Finally, I caught up to the players and CBS Sportscaster James Brown. Its always a great opportunity to talk to the other players, and hear what they are doing. J.B. gave me a chance to speak at the reception, and I asked everyone to listen to the NFL players’ stories and be willing to share them with their friends. The NFL doesn’t just have great players, it has great men. (Pictured: Chris Draft and Co. at the J.B. Awards welcome reception) |
-Chris Draft
Check back tomorrow for a recap and photos from the NFL Players Association Gala, featuring the J.B. Awards!