MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. (WSVN) - A South Florida school got a makeover and more, and they have a college football team to thank for the generous gesture.
Oklahoma athletes spent the past few days mentoring kids and renovating their elementary school.
The University of Oklahoma football team made a South Florida stop. Players and coaches arrived for a three-day community service project at Scott Lake Elementary School in Miami Gardens.
“We’ll be doing some service projects around here, the beautification of the campus, painting, resurfacing some play areas, moving some furniture around,” said Josh Norman from University of Oklahoma.
Aside from the renovations, the Oklahoma Sooners will mentor and spend quality time with the students.
“We’re here because of the kids, you know, we’re here to be with them, impact them,” said Ethan Downs, a student athlete.
They spent the day eating breakfast with the kids in the cafeteria, dancing with them in the classroom, and even diving into the school’s swimming pool, teaching kids about water safety tips in partnership with the district’s swim program.
The players said events like these bring them joy.
“When you serve, you don’t expect anything back. You want to get a gigantic award, and it impacts your heart. It humbles you, and it’s fun to serve people,” said Downs.
The school principal said she hopes the project will help her students succeed and inspire similar events in Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
“To see the college players walking around with their national championship rings or the big 12 rings and motivating our students, that’s going to really inspire those kids that want to tie the knot between academics and excellence, but it is my hopes that this becomes a doorway for all schools in Miami-Dade County Public Schools to do uncommon things in uncommon ways, to make unique experiences that’s going to have an impact on our students for a lifetime,” said Scott Lake Elementary School principal Dr. Bridget McKinney.
This is just day one of the team’s activities. On Tuesday, they plan to hype up the school’s fifth grade students as they begin to take the state’s science assessment.
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