LANSDALE – On Thursday, December 22, for one sixth grade student in the North Penn School District, a miracle occurred at Oak Park Elementary.  North Penn High School student athlete Ralph Reeves granted a Christmas wish for Marquez McCray, a sixth grader at Oak Park, and an avid fan of North Penn Knights Football. 

Following the Knight’s win against La Salle for the Eastern title, Marquez went home and wrote a letter asking for a “Christmas Miracle.”  Knowing that the Reading Superbowl was coming up shortly, he asked for Ralph to come and read to his class.  Unfortunately, as Ralph is a North Wales Elementary graduate, he will be reading there for the Reading Superbowl in February.  However, Ralph wanted to fulfill Marquez’s wish.  So with an autographed football in hand, he did just that.  Ralph went to Oak Park on Thursday, and with the help of Mr. Povilaitis, the school’s principal North Penn High School Principal and Mr. Burt Hynes, along with an accompaniment of other supporters, Ralph surprised all three Oak Park sixth grades by giving  Marquez an autographed football,  sharing the book The Amazing World of Sports, and answering questions that the sixth graders had for him about life as both a North Penn athlete and student.

The adults in attendance (parents, teachers and administrators) expected to see the surprise on Marquez’s face,  but the  emotion and shock was far beyond expectation as Marquez’s mouth dropped in surprise when his sports hero entered his classroom.   Marquez expressed his gratitude and disbelief with Ralph’s visit with true, genuine emotion; clutching the autographed football,  tears running down his cheeks as Reeves spoke. 

And when Reeves asked Marquez if he would like to go have a catch outside on the playground…Marquez happily agreed and the awes of all three sixth grades could be clearly heard.  Marquez was thrilled.  His Christmas Miracle had come through in more ways than he could imagine.  Reeves did both his school and his team proud as he represented them in the community at Oak Park.  But at the end of the day, the Christmas miracle of a boy meeting his sports hero ended up being a bigger miracle; one experienced by everyone in that sixth grade room. The miracle of watching the true joy and happiness of a sixth grade student named Marquez McCray.  It was a miracle that lifted us up,  gave us goosebumps, and let us appreciate the true meaning of the holiday spirit.

BELOW IS A COPY OF THE LETTER MARQUEZ WROTE AFTER THE FOOTBALL GAME ON DECEMBER 10:

Dear Mrs. Neubert,

            Hello I am Marquez McCray and I go to Oak Park Elementary. I was wondering if you could pull off another Christmas miracle. I have been to a lot of North Penn Knights games this year, including the game to get to Hershey. Also my mom has told me the Reading Super bowl is almost here. As you may know I am in sixth grade and I wanted to do something even more special than last year for my last reading Super bowl. So I was wondering if you could get Ralph Reeves to come to my classroom- my teacher is Mr. Baker. If he cannot come can you please try to get me his autograph?

                                    Marquez McCray,

                                                Your #1 reader