Players Honored By Alderman

October 25, 2007


Players Honored By Alderman

By Brett Grassmuck, Staff Writer
stlouisrams.com

Several Rams players as well as team sponsor Pepsi/Aquafina were honored today by St. Louis Alderman Jeffery Boyd for the work they did to help clean up Barrett Brothers Park in early September.

“This was a great opportunity today to show our appreciation and sincere gratitude to all the players that helped us out on September 1 for our clean up project at Barrett Brothers Park,” Boyd said. “It was really refreshing to have them come out and volunteer and show the spirit of cooperation, unity and being part of the active community.”

Boyd was on hand at the Russell Training Center (Home of the St. Louis Rams) Wednesday, October 24, to issue a proclamation thanking Rams linebackers Chris Draft, Tim McGarigle and Raonall Smith, wide receiver Drew Bennett, defensive tackle Clifton Ryan and tight end Dominique Byrd as well as John Barnes and Esther Walker from team sponsor Pepsi.

“I feel honored that Pepsi was represented today and was honored by the city of St. Louis and Jeffery Boyd, the Alderman, for doing community work in the 22nd ward,” Walker said. “We don‟t necessarily feel that it‟s community service because it‟s our neighborhood. So we take care of our own neighborhood since we work there. It‟s our home as well. But we say thanks a lot to the Rams and to Jeffery Boyd for giving us the opportunity to partner together to do this, and we look forward to doing projects together in the future.”

Boyd‟s proclamation of thanks to the players and Pepsi will remain in the city‟s archives for over 100 years.

“It says a lot to the community when you have people at the status level that they‟re on to come to our community when often times people think „let‟s just drive through really fast and not stop,‟” Boyd said.

On September 1, Draft, McGarigle, Smith, Bennett, Ryan and Byrd assisted with a clean up effort at Barrett Brothers Park, which lies in the area of the shooting death of St. Louis police officer Norvell Brown.

“Winning on the field is important, but it‟s also what you do off the field,” Boyd said. “And being a winner off the field is equally important.”

The players were joined by a volunteer group made up largely of kids from the Herbert Hoover City Recreational Football League. As a surprise, Pepsi, along with Shop „N Save, donated over 1,000 tickets to the Rams home game against the San Francisco 49ers on September 16 for participating volunteers.

“I‟d also like to thank Pepsi and Shop „N Save for donating 1,000 tickets so that some kids that otherwise may have never gone to a football game had a chance to go,” Boyd said. “So just showing that appreciation to them is very important. Of course, I‟m speaking on behalf of the 22nd ward and the residents that I represent and the city as a whole. It‟s just good stuff. It‟s a win-win.”