A D.C. charter school is on the cusp of starting its first ever football program, thanks to a nonprofit donation dedicated in part to a teacher who died after police officers repeatedly shocked him with a stun gun in Los Angeles.
Former NFL star Kyle Arrington presented a check Wednesday for $100,000 to the Digital Pioneers Academy in Southeast D.C. on behalf of the Players Coalition, the non-profit that donated the money.
"I’m a father and so it’s not about my kids, it's about all of our kids and helping them just be able to navigate this world and just know you're leaving it better than we found it," Arrington said.
"It means a lot to me because, like they said, they want us to show how to build character and football has been a big part of my life," player Brian Gale said.
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The football program is dedicated to teacher Keenan Anderson, who was a D.C. English teacher. Anderson, the father of a 6-year-old child, died in Los Angeles Police Department custody in January.
School officials have also dedicated the program to two teens who were killed in separate shootings this school year in D.C.: 14-year-old Antione Manning and 15-year-old Jakhi Snider.
"Antione should be here. Jakhi should be here and Mr. Anderson should be here," Digital Pioneers Academy CEO Mashea Ashton said.
The $100,000 is a down payment to get the team started, and organizers said they’re still raising money to get the program off the ground, and get the kids on the field in time for fall football
The school set up an online fundraiser to raise an additional $175,000.
"Whether it’s going to be for buses, for coaches, for uniforms, for water bottles," Ashton said.
Coaches have already begun conditioning and getting players in shape for their first season. The team's mascot will be the Pythons.
"I look forward to us putting together a very competitive, strong and dominating team ," Coach Robert Franklin said.
The Pythons have six games lined up so far.
