IT WAS A LIVING POSTCARD FROM HOME for Anderson Varejao, who hosted a group of Brazilian foreign exchange high school students prior to the Cavs versus the Orlando Magic game in late January. The Cavalier Wild Thing and one of the NBA's premiere Take-Charge guys (literally, with an official number of 49 charges taken through Sunday's game against the Pistons) met with the students prior to the game for photos and autographs and catching up on news from home.
The students were part of a contingency visiting Cleveland in late January as part of the Cleveland Council on World Affairs (CCWA), a facet of the Youth Ambassadors Program providing young people from around the world an American cultural experience, with five students coming to Cleveland - a portion of a larger group of 25 who had a one-week orientation in Washington D.C. before being sent off in groups of five to visit five cities in five states.
IN WASHINGTON, D.C., students toured the Capitol, met with Cleveland Congressman Dennis Kucinich, visited a number of monuments and had a chance to talk to one of the Supreme Court Justices. Then, during their visit to the North Coast, the students visited the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission and met with Mayor Frank Jackson. They spent some time volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House and attended North Royalton High School to experience typical American school-life. And they capped off their stay with a visit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum along with a Cavs game, where they kept company with one Brazil's favorite sons and one of the NBA's most popular players, Anderson Varejao.