Eagles, Lurie to make $1M in donations to help Philly combat COVID-19

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia Eagles and Chairman Jeffrey Lurie announced they are making $1 million in donations to help combat the impact of COVID-19 in the city.

"From the moment that COVID-19 began to threaten our way of life, we have been actively involved in deep and thoughtful conversations around ways to best serve and support the well-being of those on the front lines and their families," Lurie said in a statement Tuesday.

The donations will aid multiple organizations throughout the Philadelphia region including hospitals and the Red Cross.

Lurie and the Eagles will donate 100,000 N-95 masks totaling $300,000 to Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health (Jefferson), Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and other local health systems.

They will donate $250,000 to the American Red Cross through the National Football League's Draft-a-Thon, a fundraising component of the 2020 NFL Draft, aimed at raising much-needed funds for the COVID-19 relief efforts of six national non-profit organizations.

Lurie and the Eagles will purchase 6,733 gift cards, a $225,000 value, from ACME, Chickie's & Pete's, Dunkin', McDonald's and Wawa to be sent to employees at Jefferson and CHOP.

Through a $100,000 donation to Jefferson's Better Together Fund, the Eagles will provide resources to Jefferson employees facing unforeseen hardships due to the pandemic. In addition, the contribution will assist Jefferson students facing unexpected and unavoidable emergency expenses due to campus closures.

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An additional $55,000 donation will benefit Vision To Learn (VTL) to support the team's vision care program - the Eagles Eye Mobile powered by Vision To Learn. Through this grant, VTL will be able to maintain its staff and infrastructure, including vehicles and equipment.

"Due to the pandemic and current inability to provide free eye exams and eyeglasses to children in need, VTL has generously donated the use of the Eagles Eye Mobile to Jefferson. The vehicle is currently located at the hospital's Center City testing site as mobile support and staff relief for COVID-19 healthcare professionals," the Eagles said.

Lurie and the Eagles are granting $35,000 each to the Jewish Family and Children's Service of Greater Philadelphia's Helping Healthcare Heroes Support Group and Uplift Center for Grieving Children to support the expansion of mental health services for essential workers and their families.

Lurie added, "As part of these careful discussions, and in collaboration with some of the best minds and thought leaders in our city, we have developed a comprehensive plan aimed at providing critical support to essential healthcare workers. It cannot be overstated how appreciative we are for everything these workers have done - and are doing - to care for those directly impacted by this global pandemic. Their bravery and courage are admirable. And their efforts, and those of their families, have made us all safer during these incredibly difficult times."

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