WATCH: Red Stars’ Julie Ertz surprises James Shields Middle School with $20,000 donation

James Shields Middle School’s seventh- and eighth-grade classes were surprised Friday morning by two special guests and a generous donation to the school’s athletic programs.

USWNT and Red Stars midfielder Julie Ertz teamed with Kelloggs and Tony the Tiger to surprise the Brighton Park area middle school with a $20,000 check that will go toward sports equipment and facilities.

“Our students will grab a ball and two cones and play anywhere,” said Teresa Garcia, James Shields Middle School sixth-grade teacher. “Now we’ll have somewhere for them to actually play and give them a safe space to play. Also uniforms, little things like having uniforms that fit them is going to mean the world to them.”

The donation is part of Kellogg’s new mission, Mission Tiger, to save middle school sports.

Before presenting the $20,000 check, Ertz spoke about her experience in athletics as a middle school student. She shared with the students that middle school was when she decided soccer would be the sport she went all in on. Her example reiterated Kellogg’s point that saving middle school sports should be a top priority.

“I’ve been playing soccer since I was in third grade,” said Natasha Soriano, eighth-grader at James Middle School. “I’ve been loving soccer for a long time and she loves it, too. Seeing her was very inspiring. I would love to make it to her level one day.”