Russell Wilson and Ciara Surprise Students at Their Why Not You Academy with Holiday Gifts

Russell Wilson and Ciara's Why Not You Academy students finished their inaugural semester after the school opened in Fall 2021

Russell Wilson and Ciara are going all in for the season of giving.

The Seattle Seahawks quarterback, 33, and Grammy-winning singer, 36, recently stopped by their Why Not You Academy with gifts and surprises in tow to celebrate students completing the inaugural semester, according to a release shared with PEOPLE.

They gifted unsuspecting students with a Dare to Roam antimicrobial backpack filled with goodies including a Starbucks gift card, a Human Nation beanie, a Human Nation/House of LRC T-shirt, a 3BRAND Why Not You Scarf, and a Spin Master's Aerobie Sonic Fin Football.

The visit to the school, just south of Seattle, was a special occasion in more ways than one. Also while they were there, the couple revealed the school's mascot would be a lion. The choice had been selected by students through a vote.

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In October 2020, Wilson and Ciara donated $1.75 million to Cascade Midway Academy, which, at the time, faced financial woes amid the coronavirus pandemic. The outbreak paused the school's debut, causing founders Garth Reeves and Scott Canfield to contact the Super Bowl champion's Why Not You Foundation for help.

"We've always held the belief that life's successes start with a good education, but recognize that access isn't always created equally for all," Wilson and Ciara said in a statement posted to the Why Not You Foundation's website.

"The Why Not You Foundation was created with the concept of empowering youth to lead with a why not you attitude and that's why it was important for our foundation to partner with Scott, Garth, and Cascade Public Schools to help open doors for kids from less fortunate backgrounds," they added.

The school was later rebranded to the Why Not Academy to reflect the foundation's contribution.

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"This school is a longtime dream of ours and it was important for us to find a way to combine traditional classroom learning with community and mentorship-based activities, in order to prepare kids for the real world," the couple said in their statement. "Why Not You is based on the idea that it can start with one and our hope is that this school will be the first of many."

The tuition-free, charter public high school opened its doors in Fall 2021 and "provides innovative and tailored learning experiences, all while inspiring tomorrow's leaders to lead with a why not you attitude," per the release.