It's not easy to get an auditorium of elementary schoolers to sit still for an hour, but New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and running backs coach Tony Dews managed to do just that in Providence on Monday.
Celebrating Read Across America Week, the two took turns reading to second and third graders at Lillian Feinstein Elementary School, who listened intently and waited patiently to ask their own questions.
"It's probably easier," Vrabel joked when asked about how it compared to addressing a team of football players.
"This was a great representation of this school and the job that the teachers do that they were able to get these kids in there to sit down and pay attention and ask questions."
It was fitting for the Tackle Reading event to be one of Vrabel's first Patriots Foundation events since his playing days, because the team's charity was not only partnering with Dr. Seuss Enterprises & Creative Minds Publications, but also Vrabel's own 2nd & 7 Foundation.
Shortly after his college career at Ohio State University, Vrabel and his Buckeyes teammates Ryan Miller and Luke Fickell founded the nonprofit to promote literacy and provide positive role models for underserved children.
Their work continues today, as Vrabel brings the 2nd & 7 Foundation along on his new chapter in New England.
"I love that Mike was one of the co-founders of 2nd and 7, and the kids seeing this important man who is expressing his love for reading so much he started a foundation that brings books to kids who may not necessarily have them at home," said principal Maria Petrosinelli.
"Any event like this where we can bring guests in to motivate the students is special to all of us because, coming from a city school where a lot of the kids live in poverty, they don't get to have some of the same experiences as other kids who come from more affluent areas. Bringing in the head football coach from the Patriots is so exciting for these kids."
Vrabel read the Dr. Seuss classic Oh, the Places You'll Go! to the children, while Dews read The Hog Mollies and the Mummy's Mystery Maze – a title written and published by the 2nd & 7 Foundation.
After the guest readers finished, the Patriots coaches and cheerleaders answered a handful of questions from the crowd about their favorite books, the importance of teamwork, making mistakes, and reaching their goals.
"It was great to see when the kids asked questions, (Vrabel) was turning it back around to the importance of school and how that is the foundation to get further in life," said assistant principal Harley Van Dunk.
"It's going to be a great rest of Reading Week and this was a wonderful kick off."
According to Van Dunk and Petrosinelli, both students and teachers will carry this excitement through the rest of the school day.
The 2nd & 7 Foundation sent every second and third grader in the audience a copy of Hog Mollies, while Dr. Seuss Enterprises donated a copy of Hunches in Bunches to the entire student body.
"There's so much innocence in the gymnasiums and classrooms in schools across the country, especially here in the Northeast," Vrabel said.
"We can't give up on anybody that wants to work and wants to learn. … We want to be great role models and bring positivity to the community the best we can. We are very blessed to be in the position that we are and so anytime we can do things like this and get out and help the kids we're all here for it."
Learn more about the 2nd and 7 Foundation here.
