WASHINGTON 鈥� A Maryland lawmaker is asking around 300 men in the Prince George鈥檚 County community to volunteer on 鈥淒ap Day鈥� to welcome students back to school on Sept. 6.
Del. Angela Angel from Prince George鈥檚 County said that on the first day of school, there鈥檚 a large presence of women and moms, but she said students need encouragement from the men, too.
鈥淵ou need both forms of encouragement,鈥� said Angel. 鈥淚鈥檓 looking for a few good men, a lot of good men.鈥�
The only requirements to participate? A good fist bump.
鈥淒ap is where you do the fist bump. So you dap them up,鈥� said Angel.
The first happened last year, but only in a few schools.
鈥淚 wanted to make sure when they arrived at school, they saw men from all walks of life 鈥� police, fire, businessmen 鈥� in all of their different work gear, saying you can win.鈥�
The men formed what she calls a wall of encouragement that the students ran through before entering the school. The men gave the students fist bumps and high-fives, wished them a great school year and told the kids, 鈥榊ou can do this!鈥�
鈥淟ast year, there was a moment where my heart was just bursting to see the kids鈥� faces when they first stepped off the bus,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 all these guys and there鈥檚 officers. And (students鈥�) eyes get so big like round saucers.鈥�
This year Angel aims to bring a wall of encouragement at all 31 schools in House District 25.
She said that it would take less than an hour to volunteer for Dap Day.
Below is a list of schools in District 25,聽
- Academy of Health Sciences at Prince George’s Community College
- Andrew Jackson Academy
- Arrowhead Elementary
- Barack Obama Elementary
- Benjamin Foulois Creative and Performing Arts K-8
- Central High
- Chesapeake Math & IT PC 鈥� South
- Clinton Grove Elementary
- District Heights Elementary
- Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High
- H. Winship Wheatley ECC
- Hillcrest Heights Elementary
- Imagine Andrews Public Charter
- Imagine Foundations at Leeland Public Charter School
- Imagine Foundations at Morningside Public Charter School
- J. Frank Dent Elementary
- James Ryder Randall Elementary
- John H. Bayne Elementary
- Kettering Elementary
- Kettering Middle
- Largo High
- Longfields Elementary
- North Forestville Elementary
- Perrywood Elementary
- Samuel Chase Elementary
- Samuel P. Massie Academy
- Stephen Decatur Middle
- Suitland Elementary
- Tanglewood Regional
- Walker Mill Middle
- William Beanes Elementary
