Eagles, 76ers, Meek Mill surprise children impacted by criminal justice system

PHILADELPHIA -- It was an unforgettable holiday surprise for nearly three dozen young faces in Philadelphia.

It was a day of Philly love with the Eagles, 76ers, and rap star Meek Mill coming together last week for 35 children whose families have been impacted by the criminal justice system.

The day began at the Eagles training facility where the kids got to show off their stuff on the field before signing a special one-day contract with the team, made official by General Manager Howie Roseman.

"What do you think you're going to bring to the team?" ABC News asked Eagle for a day player Zahir Brown.

"Everything, everything I can bring!" Brown said.

The event was organized by the Reform Alliance, a nonprofit organization co-founded by Mill and Fanatics founder and former 76ers owner Michael Rubin.

"It all started with (Meek). He used to always say to me, 'Michael, when I get out of prison, we've got to do something about this.' So Meek, myself, Jay-Z, a bunch of people came together to say, we're going to start an organization that's going to change the broken probation and parole laws," Rubin said.

Reform has been acting on its mission, creating a pathway for 650,000 people to exit the criminal justice system in the last four years and seeking change through awareness, legislation and serving communities in need.

Mill says it means everything to him to give back in such a substantial way.

"I grew up in a single-parent home with minimal support. So to be able to give support to others means everything in the world. This is my purpose now, you know, and I'm standing on it to the fullest," Mill said.

All the children have seen at least one parent incarcerated because of technical violations.

Five-year-old Amir was born while his mother, Megan Parke, was in jail.

Parke remained incarcerated until he was two and a half years old. Now, she is grateful for the resources Reform has provided her and the chance to be with her boy.

"It was really a surprise. It means a lot that they would do something for my son," Parke said.

The Eagles, with Super Bowl dreams in their minds, jumped in on their day off to make this day special for the young fans.

"The kids in this community, they go through so much," quarterback Jalen Hurts said. "We have a platform in this life. You want to use that in a positive way to shine a light on them, give them hope. Give them some type of encouragement, to see the smiles on their faces. Give them the same belief in themselves so they can go do special things, too."

The smiles continued into the night where the kids were treated like VIPs at the 76ers game.

They got custom jerseys and were able to meet some of the players.

The night also included a Q&A session with head coach Doc Rivers and a chance to ring the ceremonial bell.