Viktor
Well-known member
- Mar 19, 2019
- 2,552
- 0
“I know it’s a really hot day, so they could just run back inside to the cold tub or the locker room, and I didn’t expect that long of a line for players to come by,” Mahamud said. “It definitely means a lot – it shows the level of commitment [the Vikings] have to the community and how much they care about us being a part of their culture and coming to their practice.”
He expressed his gratitude to the Page Education Foundation, which requires its grant recipients to spend at least 50 hours volunteering with youth. Mahamud has been tutoring seventh graders at Field Community School in Minneapolis, where he attended as a youngster.
“It means a lot to be a Page Scholar,” Mahamud said. “There’s a strong sense of giving back to the community, and that’s what Justice Page is doing for us.”
Xavier Walden, entering his senior year at the University of Minnesota, also appreciates the foundation’s pay-it-forward focus.
Walden said he was passionate about becoming a Page Scholar because he recognized that many young people don’t have resources and support regularly available. A native of St. Paul, Walden now regularly volunteers with local Boys & Girls Clubs.
“By doing [the Page Education program], I get scholarship money to further my education in school, and then I get to give back to my community, which is beautiful,” Walden said.
After meeting Laquon Treadwell at a past Boys & Girls Clubs gala, Walden enjoyed reconnecting with the receiver.
“He actually remembered me, so that was pretty dope,” said Walden, who also was excited to meet cornerback Xavier Rhodes. “We’ve got the same name, and he’s nasty on defense, so I like him a lot, too.”
Page may have avoided the frenzy of action, but he was greeted warmly by several Vikings, including Cousins, Adam Thielen and Harrison Smith. He exchanged a friendly fist bump with Eric Kendricks.
Looking on, Walden noted not only Page’s continued relationship with the Vikings but his willingness to include the young people he cares so deeply for.
“He’s just so accomplished. He played in the NFL; he was a [Supreme Court] Justice,” Walden said. “The fact that he’s still coming back to kids like me, from St. Paul, and helping us is really [incredible]. And I hope to do the same thing in the future.”
After practice, the Page Scholars were able to visit the Vikings Museum and have lunch in The Huddle, the café at Vikings headquarters.