Ravens Help To Beautify Nearby Community This Earth Day

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- On this Earth Day 2016, the Ravens are doing their part to help a community just a football toss away from M&T Bank Stadium.

Mike Schuh has the story.

Imagine if much of your neighborhood was littered with graffiti and trash. Patricia Smith and her nephew, Malikai, walk by it every day.

"Terrible. A dumping ground, like he said," said Smith.

A transformation is now underway. A block in Poppleton is getting an Earth Day makeover.

Manning the shovel is a true strong man: Ravens tight end Crockett Gilmore.

"They changed it to make it look nice," said Smith.

Nice and clean, with so much lead in the soil that on this Earth Day, clean, tested earth is dumped for a new community garden.

"So this was originally a dumping zone of garbage. And some of the people from the public and community came together, and they pulled out everything and they started to beautify the neighborhood," said Emily Scerba, Baltimore Ravens.

The Ravens got some help from the school nearby.

"Who takes care of it? The community is going to take care of it, led by the University of Maryland Community Engagement Center," one woman said.

Malikai Taylor got to meet his first pro football player--but admits he didn't pick or play Crockett Gilmore on his tablet football game.

"I try to get elite players on my team," he said.

"I am elite! What are you talking about," Gilmore joked.

A punishing hit by the elementary school kid.

Meantime, the team calls up its secret weapon, and the planting goes on.

Gilmore says he's at home with hard work.

"Our dad kind of instilled that in us. There are five kids. We all got that kind of work mentality from him," he said.

A mentality that helps in community service, and helps as he comes back from a season-ending injury last year.

The team will hold similar events leading up to the start of the season.