As the students of Paularino Elementary School excitedly shouted their approval, radio host Roger Lodge announced the arrival of Los Angeles Angels baseball player Jo Adell. The outfielder jogged between rows of kids to the front of the blacktop and enthused about how happy he was to be there with them.

For more than 30 minutes, Adell and Lodge talked with the students about the importance of education, perseverance, and community. Adell answered questions about his chosen sport, as well as others he’d played as a kid. Lodge took a poll on favorite soccer players. The young audience raised their hands, clapped, and laughed.

They knew this was no ordinary assembly. It was a special event. Paularino is the first Newport-Mesa Unified School District school adopted by the Angels Baseball Foundation. Each year, the Angels Baseball Foundation works with the Orange County Department of Education and Orange County Waste and Recycling to identify five local elementary schools with a commitment to green initiatives that support waste-diversion education among teachers, students, and families.​

“This is an amazing event for our Panthers. We are thrilled to host the Angels Baseball Foundation and feel fortunate to have Jo Adell and Roger Lodge here to encourage our students and staff to continue learning and growing every day,” said Principal Annalisa Schwartz.

In addition to a schoolwide assembly with Lodge and Adell, the foundation supplied a $2,000 grant to Paularino, and students were given stickers, beanies with the Angels and Anaheim Ducks logos, and four tickets to an Angels game at Angel Stadium. Plus, 20 students were selected to participate in a meet-and-greet session, where each student received an Angels hat and autographs from both men.

The grant money will be used to support the school’s future EcoChallenge programming. In partnership with Orange County Waste and Recycling, the Orange County Department of Education created the EcoChallenge curriculum to increase countywide consciousness and awareness of landfill processes, organic waste diversion, and resource recovery through academic standards-aligned classroom lessons, student activities, and family engagement materials.