The Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation and Capital Area Food Bank joined forces on Monday to provide weekend bags for students in Prince George's County, Md.
Oftentimes, the players' off day after a victory is used to relax, rest up, watch film and get treatment before starting another week of preparation.
That wasn't the case for four players, though, as quarterback Colt McCoy, wide receiver Ryan Grant, defensive end Anthony Lanier II and cornerback Kendall Fuller spent their Monday morning at the Capital Area Food Bank in Northeast Washington, D.C., packing bags to be distributed to families of need around the area.
The Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation has partnered with the Capital Area Food Bank for the first time this year to provide weekend bags to children at a Prince George's County Elementary School.
The Redskins Charitable Foundation partnered with the Capital Area Food Bank to provide weekend bags to children at a Prince George's County Elementary School.
"Weekends bags is a national program," said Maria Booker, partnerships manager at the food bank. "The idea is that kids get breakfast and lunch when they are in school. But in the summer months and over the weekends, they don't have access to those opportunities. So we work to send a bag home to two-thousand plus kids a week throughout the DMV."
Booker said the food bank sends out close to 45 million pounds of food per year, and as much as 100,000 pounds per day.
It was a total team effort, as the Redskins crew, comprised of staff members and players, was able to pack 730 bags in a little more than an hour.
The players decided to have a competition during the event, seeing who could pack bags the quickest.
"I had a lot of fun, it was the competitive part in me," Lanier II said. "I was trying to rush and put as much stuff in the bag as I could, but they told me I could only put one pack in there, so I just went to the front of the line and stocked my bag."
While the players had fun at the event, it also served as a humbling experience.
"I was proud to be a part of something that will hopefully benefit a lot of kids across the DMV," McCoy said. "Having the ability to come and give an hour or two of your time and know that time was well spent, I think that most importantly to me, means a lot."
"It's heartwarming," Lanier II said. "But, it lets me know that it's not enough. If we're still having to do this, still not enough people are getting into the cause, so we're trying to make more people do it."
