FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama baseball team kicked off the holiday season by hosting a Christmas party Wednesday afternoon at the Sprayberry Education Center in Tuscaloosa.
Sprayberry is the special education facility for the Tuscaloosa County School System and serves the needs of children in five different programs, including preschool, multiple disabilities, autism, alternative and TARGET, for gifted education.
More than 100 students, faculty and staff participated in the event, according to Sprayberry principal John Barnacastle.
“This was fantastic to have the whole baseball team here,” Barnacastle said. “Our kids loved it. It was a really, really good experience. I hope the team got as much out of it as our kids did and we look forward to doing this again in the future. I really appreciate Coach Gaspard and the team for coming here today and having such a great event.”
Alabama head baseball coach Mitch Gaspard and the Crimson Tide team hosted the event at the Sprayberry Center and provided the children with gifts and snacks for the event. The team also participated in the singing of Christmas carols and decorating the school’s tree. There was also a visit from Santa Claus.
“We were truly honored to be a part of the Sprayberry Christmas party today,” Gaspard said. “Our guys did a great job with all the kids and we all had a great time. The students had a great time, too. I am glad we could do this today for a great school and group of children.”
The Christmas party at Sprayberry is just one of many community service projects the baseball team has participated in this fall. The Crimson Tide has visited many local elementary and middle schools, talking to students about the importance of education and drug and alcohol awareness. The team has also visited nursing homes and retirement homes and participated in the annual “Turkey Bowl”, a series of peewee football games in Northport this fall.
