Drake Maye buys classroom wish lists for 54 Providence teachers

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye and his wife, Ann Michael, helped make the start of the school year a little easier for dozens of teachers in Providence.

According to a story published by the Patriots Wednesday morning, the couple, through their MayeDay Family Foundation, paid for the Amazon classroom wish lists of all 54 teachers and support specialists at Alfred Lima Sr. Elementary School.

School administrators were initially skeptical when they received a message saying Maye wanted to help. After confirming the offer was real, they kept it a secret from the staff and brought educators together under the impression they were attending an emergency meeting.

Instead, they were surprised with the news that their classroom wish lists had been taken care of. Principal Tonya Costa said some teachers were brought to tears.

The gift will directly benefit students at Alfred Lima Sr., a Title I school where school officials say 98% of students receive free or reduced-price lunch and more than 400 students are multilingual learners.

Maye launched the MayeDay Family Foundation earlier this year to help children and families in New England and North Carolina. In May, its celebrity softball event at Polar Park in Worcester raised more than $500,000.

The school is already planning a “Maye Day” next May to recognize Drake and Ann Michael and thank them for their generosity.

It was a thoughtful gesture by the couple and a great way to support Providence teachers while putting new classroom supplies directly into the hands of local students.

Source: New England Patriots Instagram (@patriots)