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City Students Stay Fit, Have Fun With Ravens

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A group of Baltimore elementary school students took their play time all the way to the 50-yard line at M&T Bank Stadium.

Marcus Washington has more on how the students received this opportunity.

For the day M&T Bank Stadium turned into the field trip of all field trips for 115 Baltimore city school students.

The 4th and 5th graders at Liberty Elementary School are not only getting to have play-time with a few Ravens players -- as a part of the Ravens 2014 Team Challenge -- but they get to do it on the field.

"A lot of times we get to go out to the schools, but rarely do they get to come to our element. It's great to see these kids just open up,"  Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith, Sr. said.

The school lesson is simply -- just have fun.

It's all a part of the charitable organization playworks' mission.

"It gets kids active and involved. It gives them a treat that they wouldn't otherwise have available to them," Randi Hogan, Playworks executive director said.

Hogan says getting exercise keeps his kids energized, therefore making them more attentive in class.

The fun also plays into the NFL's mission to the community of hands-on activities, which includes fitness, sportsmanship and academics.

Sometimes the fun is even too much for some of the professionals.

"Your knees and ankles hurt a little but from the game, but it's cook just having all this energy from the kids, they just uplift you and you fight through it," Raven Elvis Durmervil said.

It's a once in a lifetime opportunity for many of these students and it's as exciting for them as it is for those making sure they have a good time.

"I don't care what you do for a living it's always refreshing to be a kid around some other kids." Smith, Sr. said. " It's infectiuous and they bring things out of you that cometimes you can't do being an adult.

This is the third year the Ravens and Playworks have partnered for the Ravens challenge.

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