The Rams staff helped provide after school activities at Animo James B. Taylor Charter Middle School. Photos by Hiro Ueno.
For February's Rams Staff Day of Service, art imitated life when the Los Angeles Rams front office staff teamed up with students at Sunrise Elementary in Boyle Heights and Animo James B. Taylor Charter Middle School in Watts to build football stadiums.
Using popsicle sticks, glue and paint, the Rams staff paired up with fourth and seventh grade students from the I Have a Dream Foundation – Los Angeles (IHADLA) to make miniature football stadiums, complete with cheerleaders, footballs and end zones. The IHADLA students, or Dreamers, were able to design their own stadiums, craft football fields and even draw parking lots as part of the project. Dreamers were also able to participate in PLAY60 activities, such as tackling inflatables, throwing footballs and kicking field goals.
"Our students were able to build stadiums with popsicle sticks and other art supplies, and even got to play on the huge blow up activity center," shared Debra Fine, CEO of IHADLA. "We are so grateful for our continued relationship with the Los Angeles Rams."
Inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream Speech", Eugene Lang founded the I Have a Dream Foundation in 1981 to help at-risk youth and their families by providing academic support, college and career readiness, parent engagement and socio-emotional support to assure academic and life success. Since then, the foundation has expanded across the U.S., Canada and New Zealand, serving over 15,000 dreamers.
Each month, the Rams front office staff takes time out of the office to volunteer with local non-profits. Since the program's inception in 2009, the Rams staff has provided more than 12,000 hours of community service.
