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Washington Commanders players visit Alexandria school, pack bags of free food for students

By James Cullum
Crowded group of kids sitting in red theater seats, cheering and shouting with wide smiles.
On a stage, a football mascot in burgundy and white stands left while a host with a microphone and a man in a black hoodie wave at the audience, with balloon columns and a Commanders logo in the background.
Woman in a patterned blouse speaks into a handheld microphone at a wooden podium, with balloons in the background on a stage buttoned up for an event.
Large group of children posing for a school photo on stairs and floor, with a pig mascot in a red cap at the back and a Ws backdrop behind them.
Five people pose with a pig mascot in a burgundy football uniform in front of a W-pattern backdrop; smiling family/group photo in a school setting.
Four people posing with a pink pig mascot in a burgundy uniform, taking a selfie with a smartphone in a school hallway.
Person in a maroon mascot suit with a pig head takes a selfie with friends in a stadium setting; visible 'W' logos on hat and jacket and several smiling people around.
Row of rainbow-reflective sunglasses laid out on a black table, with people chatting in the background at a school-like event.
Volunteer in a beige blazer stands behind red bins filled with canned food at a donation drive.
Volunteer in a black hoodie and red cap sorts bags at a community event with volunteers and a photographer in the background.
Volunteers sort canned goods and snacks into red donation bins at a food drive.
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Washington Commanders players helped pack 500 bags of food for students at Mount Vernon Community School in Del Ray on Tuesday (Sept. 22).

Hundreds of students welcomed wide receiver Jaylin Lane, cornerback Rasul Douglas and mascot Major Tuddy in a pep rally in the school auditorium. This was the Commanders’ third annual visit to MVCS in collaboration with the nonprofit Blessings in a Backpack.

“Y’all continue to work hard, listen to your teachers and always remember that your dreams that you have for yourself, they can come true,” Lane told the students. “But you gotta put in hard work for it, okay? Nothing good comes in life without hard work.”

The bags of food included Campbell’s soup, chips, fruit, cereal, yogurt, beef jerky and protein powder.

Acting Superintendent Grace Taylor said that the pro footballers have important lessons to impart.

“Football is not won by a singular player,” Taylor said. “It’s the same for our community. We all work together helping each other learn, student to student, teacher to student, parents to child, grow and succeed, take strong partnerships with people who are willing to show up for one another. That’s exactly what the Washington Commanders and Blessings in a Backpack are doing throughout our continued partnership and we are so very grateful.”

Fifth grader Maeve Mullarkey wore her Commanders jersey to school and said the visit inspires her to do more with field hockey.

“It is making me think that maybe I could grow up doing the sport that I like most,” Mullarkey said.

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.