Los Angeles, CA (May 31, 2024) — The Los Angeles Rams and Princess Cruises, the team's Official Cruise Line Vacation Partner, teamed up to host a special Rams Day for students, faculty and staff from Avalon K-12 School on Santa Catalina Island. Over 450 students enjoyed activities led by representatives from the Rams and Princess Cruises including a Rams Readers session and football-related activities. Rams Legend Chris Draft also made a special appearance.
As part of the celebration, the Rams and Princess Cruises surprised Avalon high school English teacher Christopher Blehm, senior office secretary Katalina Vargas and 12th grade student Jarely Silva each with a luxurious 7-day cruise, offering unforgettable experiences and world-class amenities. An additional 7-day cruise was raffled off to staff members during the event. Since announcing their partnership in August 2023, the Rams and Princess Cruises have surprised numerous deserving families and service members throughout Southern California with free trips.
"Princess Cruises and the Los Angeles Rams are synonymous with LA and renowned for our commitment to delivering amazing experiences and for showing deep appreciation in our community, including our passionate fans and local heroes," said John Padgett, president of Princess Cruises. "Princess is proud to partner with the hometown Rams to enhance educational opportunities on Catalina Island and to continue making a positive impact in the community at large."
Rams Cheerleaders and mascot Rampage kicked off the day by reading the team's children's book, Ride with Rampage, to more than 100 pre-kindergarten through third grade students. Ride with Rampage is a key component of the Rams Readers program, which encourages students to explore the excitement that reading can provide while helping improve literacy rates among students throughout the region. Each student received their own copy of the book and a Rams bookmark to take home. In addition, each elementary, middle and high school student had the opportunity to participate in football-related activities led by Rams youth engagement coaches on Joe Machado Field.
"We were thrilled to welcome the LA Rams organization to Avalon K-12! It was an incredibly exciting event for our students, who had the unique opportunity to engage with professional athletes and learn from their experiences," said Emma Peguero, Avalon K-12 School principal."Thank you to the Rams for providing such a memorable and inspiring day for our kids. This event has undoubtedly left a lasting impression on our school community, and we are deeply grateful for the generosity and support of the Rams organization and Princess Cruises."
Princess Cruises and the Rams share a commitment to giving back to their community. The visit was an opportunity for the Rams and Princess Cruises to enhance youth sports programs and foster community around Catalina.
"Despite being a popular tourist destination, Avalon is home to a small, tight-knit community that benefits greatly from the support of the community around it," said Los Angeles RamsManager of Community Impact and Engagement David Weingarten. "Uplifting schools throughout the region and creating memorable experiences for students is at the heart of what we do. It was wonderful to partner with Princess Cruises to share our Rams spirit with the island and see the joy on the students' faces throughout the day."
The Rams continue to place an emphasis on being collaborative partners in the educational space to close the opportunity gap for students in under-resourced areas. For more information about the Rams' community outreach efforts, visit www.therams.com/community.
