Atlanta Falcons’ Teammates Unite for “Shop with D-Block”

Dec. 20, 2011 - PRLog -- Atlanta Falcons’ veteran linebacker, Mike Peterson, through his Mike Peterson Foundation, has spearheaded an evening with his linebacker teammates to give back for the holidays. On Tuesday, December 20 at 7pm at the Oakwood Wal-Mart, Shop with D-Block will pair 12 children with Falcons’ players.  Each child will receive a $100 Wal-Mart gift card courtesy of the Mike Peterson Foundation and have the opportunity to shop with an NFL player.

The youth shopping with the players represent various groups and organizations including Wednesday’s Child Adoption Program and the Boys and Girls Club of Hall County.

Participating teammates joining Peterson to shop with the kids are linebackers Spencer Adkins, Akeem Dent, Robert James, Curtis Lofton, Stephen Nicholas and Sean Weatherspoon.  The camaraderie with the linebacker core is evident on the field but is strengthened with off the field activities such as this. Peterson has been active in the Atlanta community since signing with the Falcons in 2009, most notably through his “adoption” of Grove Park Elementary School and developing one of the areas most successful literacy programs, the Top Dog Readers Club which rewards students for reading comprehension.

This year the linebackers have captivated Falcons fans with a feature on www.atlantafalcons.com entitled “D-Block”.  Featuring Peterson as the host, each Friday the linebackers bring Falcons fans behind the scenes with exclusive interviews and features.

The Atlanta Falcons are currently 5thin the NFC, in the thick of the playoff hunt, with two regular season games remaining.

About The Mike Peterson Foundation
The Mike Peterson Foundation was formed to benefit underserved youth and socio-economically challenged families in his hometown of Alachua, FL and his NFL communities of Jacksonville and Atlanta. Since its inception, the foundation has sponsored a number of community events, including a Back to School Backpack Distribution, Thanksgiving Meal Distributions, and Holiday Gift Parties for Children, a Game Day Youth Ticket Program and Free Youth Football Camps. For more information on the Mike Peterson Foundation visit: www.mikepetersonfoundation.com. The Mike Peterson Foundation partners with Grove Park for the Top Dog Reader Literacy program to recognize outstanding achievement and commitment to reading for students.

About Wednesday’s Child- sponsored by the Freddie Mac Foundation, is a weekly television feature about adoption that helps find permanent, loving, adoptive families for children in foster care. The Atlanta Wednesday's Child program is part of a unique public-private partnership between the Freddie Mac Foundation, WAGA Fox 5 Atlanta, and the Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR).

About Boys and Girls Club of Hall County- aims to inspire and enable young people, especially those in need, to realize their full potential as they grow and mature into productive, responsible and caring citizens.  They focus on three core areas: academic success, good character and citizenship and healthy lifestyles.