April 24, 2009 New York Giants lineman Grey Ruegamer (left) shows off his Super Bowl ring with Giants quarterback Eli Manning.
Griffith Elementary School in Northwest Las Vegas has a unique lineup for its daily morning announcements. They remind the kids of the school’s mission statement, to always try their best. Then they give a “word of the day” to increase vocabulary, followed by any important daily announcements and the Pledge of Allegiance. Then, at least in the Fall, they announce the New York Giants score. “On Mondays, I’ll ask them, ‘Did you guys watch the Giants game this weekend'” said literacy specialist Candice Murphy, who is in charge of the announcements. “On Fridays, I’ll remind them that the team is playing.” It’s not that the kids have all been shipped in from Manhattan. The reason for announcing Giants scores is that every single kid at Griffith has a friend in the NFL — Giants offensive lineman Grey Ruegamer.
Actually, Ruegamer has a lot of friends in elementary schools around the Las Vegas area. It started in 2003 when Ruegamer, then playing for the Green Bay Packers, visited Elmore Elementary in Wisconsin to speak with the kids. Always drawn to community service, Ruegamer noticed that the library at Elmore was unimpressive to say the least.