Students, parents and teachers at the North Metro Academy of the Performing Arts have raised funds to provide the season’s pregame meals for football players at North Forrest High School in Houston.
The Gwinnett County charter school has also collected more than 150 gallons of bottled water to send to the school, which was affected by Hurricane Harvey.
The school had already begun a water drive for Harvey victims when a third grade teacher connected with the North Forrest football team through a refereeing organization. The teacher, who referees football games in metro Atlanta in his spare time, heard the team and its players were in need of “nearly everything” after the flooding brought on by the hurricane, said Principal Rodriguez Johnson.
“It fell into place once we learned the football team needed some help,” Johnson said. “The call went out from the teachers and everyone pitched in. The kids are really excited about it.”
The students are continuing to raise money — they’ve raised more than $300 so far — and collect cases of bottled water for the school. What began as an effort to help will become an enduring relationship between the two schools, Johnson said.
“This is just the beginning of our relationship with them. We want to continue,” Johnson said. “The teacher that initiated contact with the school is looking for opportunities to continue, including Skype sessions with some of the football players and the students.”
