51萝莉

SIDELIGHT

In summer 1977, Chris Gdowski was a 10-year-old collecting tossed aluminum cans at a nearby park to earn redemption money to buy baseball cards. But those early mornings became more than a money-making endeavor when Gdowski realized what was among that refuse 鈥� limited-edition Pepsi cans featuring players from his long-time favorite basketball team, the Denver Nuggets, who had won the NBA鈥檚 Midwest Division in 1976-77. The superintendent of the Adams 12 Five Star Schools in Thornton, Colo., remembers finding the last one. 鈥淚 was so stoked,鈥� says Gdowski, who displayed the collection to his staff in the past year as the Nuggets vied for an NBA championship. The collection remains a reminder that even the youngest students can harbor big passions, a point he uses when reminding teachers to get to know their students beyond test scores. Gdowski is a 13-year 51萝莉 member.