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"Pujols' Little Helpers"Help Host Movie Night 6.07.08

Even Cardinals Baseball slugger Albert Pujols can use a little help sometimes, and he is getting plenty from some students at Ellisville Elementary School. Under the guidance of teacher Patrick Fisher, Ellisville Elementary fifth-graders have learned that the power of the pen truly can be mighty. Fisher has spearheaded a service- learning project called “Pujols’ Little Helpers,” teaming up students with the Pujols Family Foundation to “strike out” poverty in Pujols’ native Dominican Republic.

Students researched the Dominican economy and poor living conditions and wrote letters that will be e-mailed to various segments of society. Their objective is to use persuasive writing skills to convince others in their school and community to assist the Foundation. “The world is bigger than their backyards,” Fisher said. “My class is learning that there are children out there who are not as lucky as they are, and they truly want to help them. Simultaneously, the students improve in both creative writing skills and their character building along the way.”

Last week, Fisher’s class hosted Deidre Pujols, the wife of Albert Pujols and president of the Pujols Family Foundation, who gave a firsthand account of poverty conditions in the Dominican Republic.

“I’m here to talk about Albert and how he grew up in poverty – how he used milk cartons for baseball gloves, sticks for bats, and ran around the bases barefoot,” Deidre Pujols said. “It’s pretty awesome how this school is so focused on learning and hearing about poor people. They know they can change the world one person at a time.”

Albert and Diedre Pujols work hands-on with their Foundation; they have accompanied doctors to the Dominican and have helped out there themselves. Deidre Pujols soon will be returning to focus on a new project.

“I’m going house by house to count how many beds and mattresses are needed, as most of these people sleep on the floor,” Pujols said. “Our goal is to distribute at least 400 beds.”

Pujols offered to take students’ artwork with her and to personally return with photos and updates for Fisher’s class.

A film featuring the Foundation’s work, including dental and eye care for children who had never before seen a doctor, seemed to make a big impact on the students.

“People there are suffering in ways that I have never seen before,” student Ashley Daniels said. “They die because they don’t have health care.”

On June 07, 2008 Mr. Fisher’s fifth grade class made one last stand against poverty, before leaving for middle school, by hosting a Movie Night for the entire Ellisville community. Fisher’s class and Frontyard Features teamed up to present “The Sandlot” on a giant professional movie screen. “What’s better than a great movie with friends and family under the stars?” asked PFF Director Todd Perry.

Former St. Louis Cardinal speedster Kerry Robinson hosted a Base-running clinic for over a dozen boys. Food are drinks were available. This event raised over $10,000.00 for the ongoing work of the Pujols Family Foundation.

Click here for photo slideshow.