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Pen Pals Learn About Diversity, Meet NFL Players

Jay Nolan/Tribune Staff Photo

Bucs Safety Jermaine Phillips signs a students shirt while attending an event at Brooks-Debartolo Collegiate High School Monday. The students, many of them pen-pals, took part in a 'Super Bowl Huddle' with some football personalities.

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By JESSICA BALANZA | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 26, 2009

TAMPA - Fifth-grade pen pals from eight Tampa Bay area schools learned a lesson in diversity and enjoyed the company of various NFL players this morning at Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School.

After two months of communicating, the students were united with their pen pals through the Super Bowl XLIII One World Super Huddle.

The NFL's diversity program, One World: Connecting Communities, Cultures and Classrooms, hosts the event annually. The program assigns children a pen pal from a different ethnic background and after communicating through letters they get to meet and participate in activities collectively.

"I got to meet my pen pal," said Michael Christie, 12, of Tampa's Witter Elementary. "I learned he likes some of the stuff I do and that he is different. And that's OK."

"It's great to bring the community together," said David Krichavsky, the NFL's director of community affairs. "To use the power of the NFL to bring people who otherwise wouldn't get to interact and then make it an educational experience is really important to us."

The pen pals got the opportunity to participate in four different stations while interacting with the players. The stations featured music, dancing, art and cooking.

The schools involved in this year's program included Hernando County's Brooksville Elementary, Crystal Lake in Lakeland, Clearwater's High Point Elementary, Richey Elementary in New Port Richey, Tampa's Sacred Heart Academy, Bradenton's Oneco Elementary and Orange Ridge-Bullock Elementary and Witter.

Other than meeting their pen pals, the students got to meet players such as Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cadillac Williams and Jermaine Phillips, Tony Richardson from the New York Jets and Duke Preston from the Buffalo Bills.

"It was an honor that Derrick (Brooks) invited me," said Tampa Bay Buccaneer defensive lineman Chris Hovan. "The One World concept is great. Just look at how much fun the kids are having."

Reporter Jessica Balanza can be reached at jbalanza@tampatrib.com or (813) 865-1518.

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