By

Lynn Nelson,   Longfellow 45-15 Choice Elementary School

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Topics:

Community Involvement,  Teamwork

In May, Minnesota Vikings #35 Marcus Sherel visited Longfellow to spend some time with the Longfellow students and our FUTP 60 team. When Marcus arrived at Longfellow he had never played GaGa ball, so our FUTP 60 leaders taught him the game and they played a few games with him. We then had the whole school come down to the gym and Marcus answered questions and shared his story. Our leaders asked question about eating healthy, his workouts, his favorite games, and times in his life when he has had to persevere. through tough times. Not every day students get to meet a NFL player that grew up in their neighborhood like them.

How did you accomplish your goals?

Our goal was to bring Marcus to Longfellow because he is an incredible role model for the kids of Rochester, MN. He gives back in so many ways to Rochester, but by far his school visits are making a huge impact. Marcus encouraged our students to stay active and eat healthy. He also told them to make goals and persevere through the tough times.

How did students and adults work together as a team?

This was a team effort to get Marcus to LF. A staff member worked very hard on arranging the visit. Once we had the date, our Fuel Up advisor and leaders started working on the questions and how the event would be organized. No one at Longfellow knew he was coming until they walked in the gym, except the few organizers. It was so fun to see everyone's faces when they saw Marcus was at our school.