Eagles leave the turf for day of service at Drew

Students at Drew Elementary School showed up for a whole lot more than their regular classes last Friday.

Armed with paintbrushes and shovels, they spent the day building a playground, painting a mural and having the time of their lives.

The rain did not stop them. And neither did the Philadelphia Eagles, who showed up in the middle of it all.

Between the time that the school day began and ended, the students and the football players transformed a concrete lot and the plain brick walls outside of the school into the Drew Eagles Friendship Playground.

"This is the seventh year in a row that we have a day of service where we go out into the community," Eagles President and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Lurey said. "It really builds a sense of pride in the community -- they've gone from war zones to play zones."

Sponsored by the Eagles Youth Partnership -- a charitable branch of the team that engages in yearly community service projects -- last Friday's event marked the convergence of youth and celebrities working together toward a good cause.

As some players transported the framework of the new playground onto the site, others covered the walls with brightly colored paint. A few even tossed footballs around with the students during breaks.

"This is good for the players to give back to the community -- they're having as much fun as the kids are having," Eagles Head Coach Andy Reid said. "It's great to see the expressions on the kids' faces."

But the day wasn't just about having a good time.

According to Eagles Youth Partnership Executive Director Sarah Martinez-Helfman, one of the reasons why the Eagles chose to work with Drew students was to take part in an effort toward conflict resolution.

Due to increasing violence between children at recess earlier in the year, the teachers at Drew decided to work with students toward a more constructive objective -- building a playground in the school's previously empty backyard.

"These kids were fighting on the playground a few months ago," Martinez-Helfman said. "Now they're seeing what they've dreamed about come to fruition."

Throughout the semester, students in the third, fourth and fifth grades learned about the different stages of planning and building a playground in their classes.

Using an integrated curriculum that incorporated research, design and computer literacy skills into their regular classes, teachers and students collaborated to reach this final goal.

And on Friday, these efforts paid off, as the children worked together to dig holes, lift equipment and paint the school's outer walls.

Of course, it didn't hurt that they were shoulder to shoulder with professional football players.

"It's going well and kids are excited about us being here," Eagles linebacker Carlos Emmons said. "It's good to put a smile on peoples' faces."

"For these kids to see us on TV and then in person gets them fired up," Reid added.

On top of the $75,000 that the Eagles Youth Partnership contributed toward the playground's construction, other groups -- including Turner Construction, George Ely and Associates and Playworld Systems -- provided additional resources.

Penn's Center for Community Partnerships and the Urban Nutrition Initiative were involved with the project as well.

Over the next few weeks, students and volunteers will continue working on the playground and mural until both are completed.

And while the Eagles won't be there to help finish the project, the memories of Friday's events will linger for a long time to come.

"It's wonderful to work with kids -- it gives them a sense of value and pride that we devoted time to their neighborhood," Lurey said.

Martinez-Helfman agreed.

"This is my favorite day of the year -- magical things can happen," she said. "This is about hope-building."

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