TORONTO -- Students at Clinton Street Public School in Toronto packed into their gymnasium for a visit from two of their favorite Blue Jays on Friday afternoon.
Devon Travis and J.A. Happ hosted a pep rally for more than 300 kids, who greeted the players with a loud roar when they came through the doors.
"We pulled up to the school and we saw a bunch of Blue Jays shirts and Blue Jays hats running around," Travis said. "I love the kids."
As part of Friday's visit, Jays Care Foundation donated a Rawlings equipment kit to the school, including baseball gloves, foam bats, batting tees, rubber bases, plastic balls, foam training balls and soft rubber baseballs.
"It gives us a little perspective," Happ said. "You're able to step outside your baseball world and try to touch someone else's day for a little while in a positive way."
The Blue Jays' mascot, ACE, and members of the J FORCE also joined the players.
Travis and Happ spoke to the students about their own careers and the hard work that it has taken for them to reach the Major Leagues. This included a look at some of their biggest accomplishments -- including Happ's World Series ring with the Phillies -- and also some of their greatest challenges.
"Baseball is a big game of failure," Travis said. "It can teach you a lot of good lessons in life. You've just got to stay in the middle. You can't get too high, you can't get too low. No matter what you're going through on the field, you're just a normal person off of it."
Happ encouraged the students to stay committed in all areas of their lives, whether that be on the field or in the classroom.
"Try your best in school," Happ said. "I think school is very important, and it allows for future opportunities. It lets you go to college or university to let you continue your academics or athletic career, to give you a better chance to go on to that next level."