New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye and his wife, Ann Michael, have paid for the classroom wish lists of all 54 teachers and support specialists at Alfred Lima Sr. Elementary School in Providence, Rhode Island. The donation was made through their nonprofit, the MayeDay Family Foundation, as the school prepared for the new academic year.According to WPRI 12, the surprise began with an email sent to Tonya Costa, principal of Alfred Lima Sr. Elementary School. Costa was preparing for her 26th year in the Providence Schools district when she received a message saying that someone was reaching out on behalf of Maye.At first, Costa was not sure whether the offer was genuine. She forwarded the message to her assistant vice principals, Kelli Goodwin and Elizabeth Melendez, before the three women looked into it and spoke with Maye.“I’m not gonna lie, we were a little skeptical at first because we get a lot of emails. But we did a little research and talked to him and we realized it was real,” Costa said, as quoted by WPRI 12.Once the school confirmed the offer, the Mayes worked with the staff to decide how they could help. They eventually agreed to cover the Amazon classroom wish lists of all 54 teachers and support specialists at the school.The gift was then turned into a surprise for the educators. Costa, Goodwin and Melendez called the teachers and support staff to what they described as an emergency meeting. Instead of an emergency, the staff were told that the Mayes had agreed to pay for their classroom supplies. “It was amazing,” Costa said. “There were teachers crying. They couldn’t have been more thankful.”
Donation supports a Title I school
The donation is particularly significant for Alfred Lima Sr. Elementary School because it is a Title I school. Such schools receive federal financial assistance through the US Department of Education because they serve a high percentage of children from low-income families.Costa said about 98% of the school’s students receive free or reduced-price lunch. The school also has more than 400 multilingual learners, meaning those students speak Spanish or another language as their first language.“Our school is a Title I school. So, 98% of our kids get free or reduced lunch. We have more than 400 multilingual learners, which means 400 of our students speak Spanish or another language as their first language. This provides them the opportunity to get special supplies for the kids in their classrooms that they wouldn’t have otherwise,” Costa said. The Mayes donated $15,000 in gift cards to the school to cover the cost of the 54 classroom wish lists.Tasha White, a library media specialist at Alfred Lima, said teachers often use their own money to purchase classroom necessities. “Most teachers have to take money out of their own pockets to buy a variety of supplies that are really necessities in the classroom,” White said. “We are just so thankful for their generosity and for looking out for us.”White said the donation would also give educators the opportunity to purchase supplies beyond the basic necessities. She described some of these as “luxury” supplies that could be used to enhance learning. “It’s a wonderful feeling,” White said. “We now have the chance to do things we otherwise wouldn’t have been able to do.”
Teachers learn about surprise donation
For the educators, the announcement came without warning. Kristen Ayotte, a third-grade teacher at Alfred Lima, said she was especially excited about the donation because she is a Patriots fan.“I am a big Patriots fan, so to tell my students and my own children that I was receiving a donation to purchase supplies for my classroom was super exciting,” Ayotte said.The MayeDay Family Foundation was launched by Maye in March. Its first activation was a celebrity softball classic held at Polar Park in Worcester, Massachusetts, in May. The event raised more than $500,000 to benefit children and families in need in New England and North Carolina.Maye later spoke about the Providence school donation after practice on Wednesday. He said his wife was the person behind the idea for the gift. “In our light, we have been blessed by the lord and in what we have been given and we’re trying to share it with others,” Maye said.The school is now planning another event connected to the donation. Staff members want to invite the Mayes to Alfred Lima for a “Maye Day” in May, giving educators an opportunity to thank the couple in person.Goodwin said the gesture has continued to affect the staff. “Every time we talk about it it gives me goosebumps,” she said.
