JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – More than 200 school-age children picked up a special back-to-school gift from a popular former Jaguars player.
Paul Posluszny, a former Jacksonville linebacker who retired in 2018, partnered with two foundations to help provide laptops to children on Saturday. The children, 210 of them, are active Littles in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.
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Posluszny’s financial contribution was matched by both the Jaguars Foundation and the NFL Foundation using grants from Inspire Change.
“To our youth, approach every goal, every challenge, every day with the confidence and mentality to know you can achieve,” Posluszny wrote in a letter to recipients. “You possess within you, already, everything you need to be great. Surround yourself with greatness, take care of each other and work hard every day to be a part of making our community even better.”
Posluszny and Jaguars mascot Jaxson de Ville and members of The Roar of the Jaguars were part of the morning celebration where laptops were loaded into the trunks of cars and the students wished well as the 2020-21 school year prepares to get underway.
“In the current tech-centered realities of our communities, job markets, and virtual/distance learning spaces, access to devices, such as laptops, is a necessity — but not a reality known by all,” said Sara Alford, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Florida.
“We know this equipment will be a game changer for our youth. With better access to the tools needed, and coupled with the support of our parents/guardians, the Big Brothers Big Sisters team and our mentors, we know we are igniting the potential of our youth for the upcoming school year and beyond.”