JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Former professional football player and recent Hall of Fame inductee Tony Boselli teamed up with Academy Sports to surprise local educators with a shopping spree.
Boselli took 40 teachers from The Boselli Foundation Teacher Fellowship Program to the Academy Sports and Outdoors on Atlantic Boulevard to treat them to a $4,000 shopping spree. Each teacher received a $100 gift card to shop the store to help them pursue their passions in and outside of the classroom.
“It’s pretty exciting and awesome that people are so generous to us teachers,” Duval County teacher, Amy Cofield said. “At this time of year teachers are just last the max, this just brightens our day.”
Another local teacher Andrea Jemmott said the day was a “surprise.”
“To come in and for them to really bless us the way they did, it was a complete shock and it’s really appreciated -- especially when they said ‘try and do something for yourself,’” Jemmott said.
Jemmott was excited to get a new pair of fresh kicks.
“Shoes! I am a shoe person, so I have some shoes. I’m going to love them very much, and even though it’s not about the kids, my kids will like them too,”
This was the third year that The Boselli Foundation partnered with Academy Sports to show educators some love.
“Part of the mission of the Boselli Foundation is really to make an impact on young people’s lives, particularly around education and character development. What better way to do that is to work with teachers and help teachers grow,” Boselli said.
While most teachers put their classrooms before themselves, Boselli was hoping they would take advantage of the occasion to splurge on themselves.
“I hope they spend it on themselves or their kids. Whatever it is, I know most of them will spend it on the classroom, but we hope this is a nice treat for them as individuals,” Boselli said.