By Brian FeesSouthern Tier Sports Report
ELMIRA — Throughout the school year Mia Capilli can be found sporting the name Elmira Express on sports jersey’s as she excels for the school in soccer and lacrosse.
This week she was going to area elementary schools spreading the message of who the Elmira Express truly was.
Capilli, an Elmira senior, went to seven different schools this week to have second and third graders make christmas cards that will be sent to the Golisano Children’s Hospital in Syracuse.
The project, which is for a scholarship opportunity, also spreads the message of who Ernie Davis was and what qualities he possessed.
“I am going to need help to pay for college one day, so I decided this was a great way to spread Ernie’s message, especially just through a scholarship opportunity, so it’s really killing two birds with one stone,” Capilli said.
But, I really like the message it portrays behind this. Besides just a scholarship, I think teaching young kids how to become respectful, responsible and just embodying Ernie’s characteristics. I think they would grow up to be great humans.”
The scholarship opportunity, which is the Ernie Davis Scholarship, a $15,000 scholarship that is earned by spreading the message of Davis through a project and then doing a presentation to another student body when the project is done.
My project is holiday cards to the Syracuse Chilrden’s hospital, specifically I’m hoping Golisano Chilrden’s Hospital up in Syracuse and then by using second and third graders through all of Elmira they are going to be hleping me make these cards and then I’m going to deliver them and then I hae to talk about that to a student body.”
Capilli will attend Mercyhurst next year, where she will play Division II soccer.
The idea is to have kids in Elmira, the hometown of Davis, sending cards to kids in the hospital in Syracuse, where Davis was a Heisman Trophy winner in college.
Capilli went to Hendy, Finn, Pine City, Cohen, Broadway, Riverside and Diven schools to talk to kids about the characteristics of Davis and have them help make Christmas cards.
“It’s great, seeing all the different schools,” Capilli said. “I actually didn’t know there were so many schools in Elmira. After seeing the project and seeing how much they are impacted and excited by making a difference. It really means a lot that I am the one that can do this.”
Going to the elementary schools takes Capilli back in time. This is the second straight year that Capilli has gone to the schools to do this project.
“It’s notstaligic,” Capilli said. “I came through Cohen and I get to visit there. I went there last year and it’s like a wave of nostalgia everytime I go back. But, it’s great to see I can actually go back to where I started and bring some poeple up so maybe they can do some of the same things I’m doing and hopefully go to the same places I”m going. It’s just great. I feel like I’m making a difference and it feels great.”
Being in Davis’ hometown it’s especially important to Capilli that the younger kids learn about his legacy.
“Especially since Ernie Davis is from where they all originated from,” Capilli said. “They are all in the same area where Ernie Davis was and I feel like they should know what impactful people grew up here and know they can be impactful people too.”
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IN PHOTOS: Mia Capilli talks to students at Divin. PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES
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