The school year is almost over for students at the MLK School in Dorchester, but the Robert Kraft and the New England Patriots had one last surprise for their Adopt-A-School.
The Patriots chairman and CEO wanted to ensure the team left a lasting impact, and on Wednesday, presented the elementary school with a $10,000 Hometown Grant to support the health and wellness of students on behalf of the Kraft family, Patriots Foundation, and New England Dairy Council.
"To do what you want to do, you have to be physically and mentally strong," Kraft said at a morning assembly with students and faculty.
"Working out and eating good foods like fruits and vegetables, you'll have a great chance to accomplish what you want. We've enjoyed working with the MLK School through the Adopt-A-School program, so when our friends at the New England Dairy Council called and said they'd like to be partners with us in helping you live a healthy lifestyle, we were very excited."
In addition to the grant, Kraft personally gave $25,000 to the school.
The donations provided new physical activity equipment that will be used indoors and outdoors by students, as well as blenders for healthy fruit and yogurt smoothies to be provided during lunch every day.
Former Patriots players like running back Jonas Gray, linebacker Vernon Crawford, and linebacker Andre Tippett -- who also serves as the team's executive director of community affairs -- were in attendance to help students run through drills outside.
For more than 10 years, the Patriots and New England Dairy have teamed up for Fuel Up to Play 60 -- an NFL initiative that has become the leading youth wellness program in empowering students, parents, and educators to work together to build healthier communities.
"Be sure to listen to your parents and teachers and make healthy choices by eating fruits and vegetables every day," Kraft said in his closing remarks. "If you continue to exercise and eat healthy, I promise that you'll all grow up big and strong and be successful both in the classroom and in life."
