TOWSON, Md. — Kids and faculty at Dumbarton Middle School are all smiles after Dr. Joel Danziger, a local doctor, donated more than 700 Towson basketball tickets to students and faculty for exceptional attendance this school year.
"The goal is to inspire these kids to continue to do well with attendance and with school work and strive to set higher goals like maybe becoming a TU alumni themselves," said Dr. Danziger, who is a dentist of Elite Dental of Towson and Baltimore Magazines top doctor in 2023.
As a Towson alum, his goal is to pour into the Towson community.
Dumbarton Middle School has been looking to incentivize its students for doing well.
It's perfect timing for both parties.
"For him to offer this is just one more reason why we love being in this community. His generosity and willingness to help us is providing an opportunity that I certainly couldn't have offered to our students myself," said Amanda Shanks, principal at Dumbarton Middle School.
"It's exciting. Kids get into it. I just had a patient say 'oh my gosh my kid just got a ticket to a game he's so excited.' I'm like, I'm the one who is part of that. The kids are excited and they're bringing their parents to come so it's exciting to see their joy," said Dr. Danziger.
The kids are being rewarded for attending at least 96% of classes this school year.
Eighth grader Jackson Stanley believes it's a great way to reward consistency.
"If you show up to all your classes, get good grades, I think you should be rewarded. I think this is a really nice reward from coming to school and trying your best," said Stanley.
Ayden Covell and Liam Garrett can't wait to experience a division one basketball game up close.
"I'm just looking forward to seeing how the coaches are going to be because I wanna play basketball so I'm trying to see what it's going to take to get me to the next level," said Covell, a seventh grader at Dumbarton.
"I play basketball myself and I like to go to games and watch and learn so I appreciate it a lot," said Garrett, an eighth grader at Dumbarton.
This game is more than just an opportunity to be entertained. It gives kids a chance to take-in a college atmosphere.
"We like to think, if you can see it, you can be it. So giving the kids an opportunity to come experience college athletics, be on a college campus, they can picture themselves in a college environment," said Chris Smith, General Manager of Towson Athletics Sponsorships.
"Opening them up to that possibility of look at what college has to offer you. It is the academics but it's also all the extra curricular," said Shanks.
"I thank the person that did this so much because it provides us with a great experience to a D-1 basketball game and to also pours back into us as students," said Stanley.
Towson will host the College of Charleston Saturday at noon for their final home game of the season.
