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Several members of the George Mason baseball team got up early on Friday morning to kick off their new partnership with Providence Elementary School in Fairfax. 
 
The student-athletes, along with Mason Athletics community relations director Dawn Hicks, met with Principal Dan Phillips before the children arrived to get acquainted with the adopted school and some of the programs they will be involved with during the school-year. 
 
"We are excited about the partnership," said Phillips. "It's important in that a lot of kids may not look like they are struggling but if we don't take really good care of them now, they may struggle the rest of their lives. Any time we get a chance to have somebody else, an extra hand, it's awesome and important for their growth."
 
In the partnership, the Patriots will be working with the school and the children in several different initiatives, including hands-on in the STEAM lab or reading to a student or an entire classroom. For students that need more attention, student-athletes can mentor individual children, eat breakfast or lunch with them in the school cafeteria, or hang out with them at recess to make a connection. The team also plans to be involved with the school's annual Fun Fair, running some of the games. 
 
"Mason has adopted several elementary schools in the community," said Dawn Hicks. "Each partnership is customized to the school and the team involved. The most important objective is engaging students with positive interactions that build meaningful, influential relationships that encourage aspirations for higher education. It's a big deal for them."
 
The Patriots found out quickly how important their role with the children can be as the buses rolled up to the curb and the team greeted the kids with high-fives and words of encouragement as they entered school. 
 
"A lot of us guys are not from Fairfax so this is a great opportunity to learn and engage with the community that is trying to support us," said junior Jared Dicesare.  
 
The team's next engagement at Providence Elementary will be after the winter break in January.