John Randle, Josh Metellus help elementary school raise funds for playground equipment

Mar 30, 2023 - 2:05 AM

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In recent years, the Minnesota Vikings have done a great deal to step up their efforts in the local community, and another nice example of that was on display on Wednesday in Minnetonka.

Hall of Famer John Randle and current special teams ace Josh Metellus were on hand at Glen Lake Elementary School on Wednesday as part of a rally for students that are raising money for playground equipment to allow some of their classmates to better participate in some of the outdoor activities. The fundraiser originally had a goal of $300,000, but is now over $700,000 with the goal having moved all the way to $1,000,000.

(That’s a lot of playground equipment, I’d imagine.)

“Our first phase, we’ll be able to add two pieces of accessible equipment,” explained Glen Lake Principal Jeff Radel. “If we get to a million, we’ll be able to add multiple pieces of equipment, as well as rubberized surface for our entire playground so wheelchairs can go on it.

“It’s been a roller coaster,” Radel added. “When we started this, we figured our goal would be a few thousand dollars. Once some local news outlets got it, it’s gone viral, and everyone’s wanting to help out and contribute. It’s really brought the community together and our state together.”

There were other members of the Vikings’ organization in attendance on Wednesday as well, to include mascot Viktor the Viking. At the end of the rally, the school was presented with a check for $10,000 to aid the school’s efforts to reach their new goal.

As anyone that’s followed this site over the years knows, we love stories like this that show the human side of some of the guys we cheer for on Sundays (and Mondays and Thursdays and whatever). It’s particularly nice when they can support a great cause like this one and play a part in helping a community reach a pretty significant goal. Kudos to Josh Metellus and John Randle for what they’ve done for the folks at Glen Lake Elementary School.